Defying Destiny.
by Stiltzkin
Summary: Chapter VI: Operation Onslaught. – Trapped in an alternative reality, Squall and Company arrives in Timber trying to find a way home, while Thor and his crew joins the resistance movement to infiltrate Balamb Garden. Please R&R.
1. The Long Night.

CHAPTER ONE: THE LONG NIGHT  
  
Rinoa Heartilly woke up sweating, she could feel her heart pumping hard as she wiped her brow dry. She had the nightmare again, a dream that she would rather soon forget. She was in Lunatic Pandora struggling against Seifer Almasy as he threw her into the waiting arms of Adel. She could feel Adel's thoughts creeping into her mind, controlling her when they were merged. Her self-will lost in the sea of darkness, lost in waves of violent emotions, of vengeance, of revenge.  
  
Although this event happened a year ago, she remembers every detail of it. She felt ashamed of being so easily succumbed to Adel's will. She tried to fight her, especially when she was fighting against her friends and Squall - her love, but even her self-will was not enough to break Adel's hold.  
  
Angelo, her lifetime companion licked her face, returning her thoughts back to reality. With great enthusiasm she greeted her old friend.  
  
"How are you, old friend?" Rinoa asked smiling. Angelo sensing relief in his master's feelings barked twice. "Quiet!" She forcibly hushed her friend. "You'll wake up, Ward and Zone." Angelo whimpered when he heard his master command. "That's okay, I understand you were just worried about me." Rinoa said massaging Angelo behind his right ear. Feeling better Angelo continued to lick Rinoa's face. Rinoa quietly laughed as her dream slowly degraded into her subconscious.  
  
She walked to her C.D. player and pressed play. Her mother's voice filled the room, which give her some comfort from her dream. Julia Heartilly-Caraway was once a very popular performer, but to Rinoa she was just mother. Hearing her voice again brought back the memories of nostalgia, where everything that she knew was safe. Her mother's voice always had a soothing effect on her soul.  
  
She waltzed to her nightstand and picked up a framed Triple Triad Card of Squall. The Card Queen's father, the great artist made an excellent rendition of her love's counterfeit. She traced the counters of her love's face with her fingers and she felt compelled to kiss it.  
  
She leaned back against the headrest of her bed and remembered being held in his strong arms while they were on the Ragnarok returning slowly back to Earth. She felt safe, perhaps the first since her mother's death. She wanted that moment in her life to last forever, but sadly, all good things, must come to an end. She tattooed that moment into her mind so she could remember forever the closeness she felt with Squall. She lived in that memory most of the time, that is, when her hectic schedule would allow her to daydream.  
  
She also remembered how they parted uneasily when their adventure ended. Shortly after the defeat of Ultimecia and their return from the time compressed world. Rinoa and Squall shared a short time together, but when the euphoria and the adrenaline faded so did their love. Their love was like a summer storm, strong and passionate, but quickly subsided.  
  
Reality threw a wrench into their plans - their dreams. Squall had to command the floating Balamb Garden while she had to return to Timber to ensure its liberation. She made a promise to Ward and Zone, to the people of Timber and most importantly to herself to see that Timber was liberated. Squall couldn't return with her because of his new found responsibilities and she understood it. So they compromised their hearts for the greater good and parted ways.  
  
Rinoa left giving her beau a kiss because she feared that it would be a long time between the next one. She could still feel his champaign stained lips in her mouth where they spent their last night together. Upon her arrival to Timber she dissolved the Forest Owls rebellion faction and with the help of Cid, General Caraway, her father and Irvine Kinneas and Squall Leonhart of Galbadia and Balamb Garden respectively, backing Rinoa's petition for succession opened a dialogue with the Galbadian Government. With the pressures of two Gardens, her father the retired General, and the civil uneasiness of Timber the Galbadian Government was compelled to begin talks of succession.  
  
It has been a year since talks began and finally Timber has been declared independent. Tonight, on the eve of their victory, Rinoa didn't think about this brave new world. Nor did she think of the fact that her dear friends Zone has been declared President after she abdicated the position and gave it to him and Ward, the Secretary of Information and vice-president.  
  
Rinoa decided that she didn't want to be apart of the Timber government because she was passionate about someone else. She wanted to take some time off and be with Squall - that is if he still feels the same way she does about him. She has been debating on a visit to Balamb Garden to see her beloved, but she was afraid. Did he find someone else? Or would he be just too busy to see her?  
  
Suddenly, something interrupted her thoughts. It was a strange feeling that she felt before in another life, something familiar like an echo from a distant world. It was something in the magical realm, something she felt before when she was a sorceress. It then dawned on her - there was a sudden shift of magic - a strong shift, but as quickly it came it was gone. What could be so strong that it could shift the balance of the magical realm. She shook her head and held her necklace feeling Squall's ring wondering what he would do. Her head started to pound harder as she got off her bed. She staggered towards the terrace to get some fresh air to alleviate her pain.  
  
The faint sounds of celebration were still heard throughout Timber. It was almost dawn, but they had a right to celebrate. Timber has finally succeeded from the Galbadian Occupation. The last of the Galbadian troops left Timber earlier that day and the citizen threw an impromptu party for their departure. She should have been proud of her accomplishments, but instead of indulging in her accomplishments she scanned the horizon hoping that the feeling would return. It did and in the distant she saw a violet object in the sky. It was magical all right, but she didn't know what it was, but she knew who could help her find out...Squall.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
President Loire sat at his desk reading the latest report from the various department heads of his cabinet. He thought how spontaneous life can effortless change. Once upon a time, he was a solider, a protector, an actor, a journalist, a slave, a rebellion leader and now he's the president of the biggest continent in the world.  
  
A year ago he approved of an Esthar Garden. The Gardens has declared independence from all nationality soon after the defeat of Ultimecia and became an independent military force for anyone in the country they resided in. Being the military stronghold for the world, the Minister of Defense, and the general of the Estharian Army was a bit concern of this development, but President Loire reassured the general that he was very acquainted with the commander of Balamb Garden - Squall.  
  
Laguna was lost in thought thinking of him - he never had the conversation he wanted to have with him last year, before they went into the time-compressed world. He wanted to talk to him every day since their return, but never had the time, nor the courage to do so. He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear his old friend Ward come in. His big strong hand rested on his shoulder that pleasantly surprised him. He looked at his friend's face and returned his smile.  
  
Ward's face was full of concern - Laguna never forgave himself for Ward losing his voice all those years ago. If he were a little bit more responsible maybe Ward would be joking with him now today. He looked into his eyes and found forgiveness.  
  
"I'm okay, old friend, just old memories haunting me." He smiled trying to reassure his old friend. "What are you doing up so early in the morning?" Ward's eyes diverted from Laguna's face and replaced it with a report and threw it in front of him. "What is this?" Ward's eyes told him to read it as he started to groan. The one thing Laguna hated about being president is the endless paperwork he has to read. He was about to start when Kiros entered.  
  
"President Loire, Dr. Odine is here to see you."  
  
"Dr. Odine?" Laguna asked with a hint of surprise. "Please Kiros send him in." Dr. Odine wobbled into the room full of excitement and glee. It seems that he's found a new toy that he is interested in. Laguna thought to himself. The last time he saw Dr. Odine this excited was with Lunatic Pandora and then with Ellone so many years ago.  
  
"Ah I zee that you have zee report." Dr. Odine said gleefully.  
  
"Yes, I was about to read it. Though if you could save me the trouble. I would be much in your debt." He turned and saw the expression of Kiros' face - anything to get out of reading it. Which was in itself true.  
  
"There iz a zpacial anomaly in the ionzphere of zee planet."  
  
"What is it?" Laguna asked impatiently.  
  
"Do not interrupt!" Dr. Odine cautioned his president. "It iz a vortex, perhapz to another world! I zuggest we obzerve it for zcientific reazons to find out for zure."  
  
"Very well." Laguna sighed. "Dispatch the Ragnarok as soon as -" Laguna didn't have the chance to finish his order when a communique came in from Lunar Gate. It was Dr. Odine's assistant. He was frantic saying that something was coming out of the phenomenon.  
  
"Switch to the Lunar Base Cameras!" Laguna ordered. Dr. Odine's assistant nodded and in a few moments the screen in his office turned to view the Earth's atmosphere. The vortex was like a funnel in space a vibrant warm colour of purple in the darkness of space. A sliver tiny ship was jettison through the vortex and moments later dark ships followed it. They were dark, black, and mysterious and looked rather like spiders with bat wings. There were at least two dozen of them, following this tiny silver ship. Suddenly the black ships attacked the silver ship shooting their red laser beams.  
  
"Mr. President, we receiving an audio hail from the ship. It's under attack." Kiros said.  
  
"Put it through speakers." Laguna said turning to Kiros.  
  
Kiros pressed a few buttons on his consul and the speaker came alive with static. "To anyone out there. This is Lieutenant Vesper...in command.... Starship Destiny, we are under attack...We acquire assistance. To anyone out there, this is Lieutenant..." Kiros closed the channels.  
  
"It's a recording." Kiros explained.  
  
"What's that?" Dr. Odine asked pointing to a dull white speck coming up on the screen. It was tiny compared to one of the big black ships. Laguna asked that part to be magnified, but he feared he already knew what it was. The magnified picture confirmed it. It was Balamb Garden.  
  
Kiros and Ward looked at Laguna with silent awe. He returned the look to his old friends as he saw in horror the ships opening fire at Balamb Garden.  
  
"Contact the Estharian Air Force, we're going in and contact the Headmaster of Esthar Garden and apprise them of our situation." Laguna ordered. Everybody rushed out of the office leaving Laguna alone for the moment. He went to the screen and touched the image of Balamb Garden on the screen. "Squall." He whispered under his breath.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"I want that ship in our docks!" Squall yelled as the bridge of Balamb Garden shook from being attacked from the lead ship. They were outnumbered perhaps twenty to one, but the only thing on his mind was to get that ship to the safety of their docks.  
  
Balamb Garden wasn't ready for this sort of confrontation. Squall wished that he prepared Balamb Garden with offensive weapons when he had the chance, but he thought that it was the wrong time to do so. The world for the most part is at peace and no one would dare attack any Garden, but he never put this scenario into account. This was one contingency that he failed to conceive; then again the odds of this happening, whatever it was were astronomical.  
  
"Hard to port!" Squall ordered.  
  
"Aye sir!" Nida acknowledged the simple command.  
  
"Sir?" Xu asked in confusion.  
  
"We're out numbered! We must evade and stall until reinforcements come." Squall said. Xu didn't say anything else and continued to be battle ready. She trusted Squall and knew that she would give her life to protect her commander's - as were all the other people in Balamb Garden. His next order frightened her, for she knew that Squall was willing to sacrifice their lives for the safety of the planet.  
  
"Quistis, evacuate all junior classmates and civilians to safety." Squall ordered through the intercom to hear Quistis' voice back to confirm the order. Squall sighed as his life flashed before his life. There were many holes, because of the usage of the Guardian Forces, but he remembered everything about last year - of Rinoa, and the year since.  
  
Since then he has continued his command of Balamb Garden, while Xu became his executive officer and took care of the administration of Balamb Garden and saw that everything was running effectively.  
  
"We're getting a communique from Superintendent Cid."  
  
(What now?) He sighed bitterly. "Put it through!" Squall barked. "What is it superintendent, we're a little busy now?" Squall said bitterly. Over the pass year, Cid removed himself as headmaster and became the Superintendent of all the Gardens and Commander-in-Chief of all SeeD. He now lives with Edea, his wife, at the orphanage. The house has been fixed up over the year and has become the permanent residence for the Kramers.  
  
"Garden is aware of your situation, at this moment all available Gardens is en route. We realized that you're the only ship there right now, but keep the line, the other Gardens will rendez-vous at your position very soon - along with the whole Estharian Air Fleet." Squall acknowledged his order and looked at his opponent. The ships were like from the deepest recess of his nightmares come to life.  
  
"Sir, the vessel is secure and in our docking bay and I'm getting a communique from a Miss. Rinoa Heartilly. She's asking to come aboard." Xu said quickly as she looked at the instruments of her consoles. Squall was shocked to hear the news. (What the hell is she doing here?) He thought to himself. (Why now?)  
  
"Sir?" Xu waited impatiently.  
  
"Have Dr. Kadowaki and Zell Dincht go to the docking bay to check on casualties on the silver ship and have someone get Rinoa up here quickly!" Squall ordered.  
  
"Aye sir!" Nida and Xu said in unison.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Irvine Kinneas looked towards the horizon as he saw the early morning sky light up with red lasers hitting a target and he knew that Squall was there and hoped that they weren't too late to help his old friend. A lot has happened to Irvine that year, he returned to the Galbadia Garden crashed site near the orphanage to repair it and return it to it's natural home. He worked hard with his new Headmaster and with Cid and the other Garden Headmasters to make Garden into an independent nation. A nation where they own no land except the small area in which each country allowed the Garden to be placed.  
  
With the defeat of Ultimecia and his role in the whole ordeal his name was quickly well known in Galbadia Garden and was quickly promoted to instructor. The women that lived in Garden fancied him greatly, but he had eyes for only one person, but that never stopped him in enjoying the attention. Irvine chuckled to himself. The relationships with his fellow crewmate were shallow and mainly platonic and he longs for something more.  
  
Shortly after their returned from the time-compressed world and the declaration of Garden's independence, he came to the realization that he has grown up. Something he dreaded for a long time.  
  
A black ship screamed by as it hit the hall of Galbadia Garden with a red laser, waking him up from his daydream. "Damn" He swore to himself. He got himself back inside and headed for his room. He looked out of his window and saw the much smaller Trabia Garden floating to the far west. "Selphie" He whispered to himself remembering the time they spent together last year.  
  
He grabbed his Exeter from the wall and loaded it with Armour Piercing bullets and ran back out to see the hideous black ship coming back for more. He took aim and fired a round of Armour Piercing bullets. He took aim at the engine core and whispered to himself. "It's only a symbol."  
  
The first round of the bullets broke through the ship's shields and the second round damaged the engine core sufficiently for the ship to explode from the impact. Irvine covered his eyes from the explosion and when the bright light succumbed into the dark morning sky, he looked down and saw the fragments of the ship falling into the ocean - The first fatality for their side. "Yes" He rejoiced and kissed his chrome gun as he thanked it for all its help.  
  
He then continued to take aim at the next ship. He took aim as three ships screamed past him and Galbadia Garden and headed towards the west. Apparently Galbadia Garden has become too much of a threat. "Selphie." He whispered to himself praying that nothing happened to her.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Irvy." Selphie whispered to herself as she saw Galbadia Garden to the east. The explosion of the black ship scream painfully as it died. The eerie sound brought back nightmares from her childhood. She had a feeling that Irvine was the catalyst that destroyed that ship. Selphie was thinking the very same thing Irvine was - they were worried about each other, but she quickly set her mind on the present situation and concentrated on her duties.  
  
Like Squall and Rinoa, her relationship with Irvine did not continue after the final confrontation with Ultimecia. She returned to Trabia and helped the other student there to restore the Garden back to her former glory. With hard work and the income of the other Gardens helping Trabia out the Garden was back to life and ready to serve in less then eight months.  
  
She now serves as an instructor in Trabia Garden, but with all the ordeals that she had to go through she has never loss her child-like innocence, but she has become a little jaded - a feeling that she keeps hidden deep within. She looked ahead and saw Balamb Garden it was like a diamond in the sea of darkness. She didn't worry; she had faith in Squall and in his abilities.  
  
Yet she had very little time to think of her old friend. Three black ships screamed towards Trabia as the Garden changed speed and course to intercept the three ships. With her peripheral vision she saw the escape pods jettison into the night. It must be the civilians and the junior class members. Which means one thing, they were willing to fight to their deaths. She held onto her nunchaku tighter ready to fight.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Zell Dincht ran towards the docking bay as per his order from Squall. Like Selphie and Irvine, Zell too had quickly became an instructor under the command of Quistis Trepe. He rushed towards the second floor where a small docking bay was put in for small aircrafts. He waited impatiently as a small plane landed next to the small silver craft.  
  
"What in the world?" Zell asked himself as he rushed to the ship. The bay doors of the ship opened and from within a person from his past.  
  
"Rinoa!?! Whatcha doing here?" Zell said.  
  
"I need to see Squall now." Rinoa said unapologetically. She wanted to catch up with Zell, but she needed to talk to Squall. She knew what this vortex was and knew one thing: it must be destroyed.  
  
"This is not a good time." Quistis said interrupting their conversation. She met Dr. Kadowaki en route and decided to accompany her to the docking bay. She wondered why Rinoa has made herself vulnerable to her own demise. The enemy fleet has darkened the sky so no one could see the moonlight or any stars and still Rinoa risks her life to come here. After her return from the time-compressed world Quistis was promoted to her present role as head instructor of Balamb Garden, which fit well to her elderly sister demeanor.  
  
"It is a matter of life and death." Rinoa protested. Quistis sighed as she remembered that tone of voice before. It was the night of the failed assassination of Edea back in Deling City over a year ago. She knew no matter what she said Rinoa would force her way up to the bridge regardless. She sighed in defeat.  
  
"Zell execute your previous orders and I'll accompany Rinoa to the bridge. The four of them parted ways. Zell quickly lead Dr. Kadowaki towards the chrome, silver ship. He quickly searched around the hanger door looking for a trigger of some sort to open it. He found it to the right and started to pick it.  
  
"Are you sure you can open it?" Dr. Kadowaki asked.  
  
"Don't worry." Zell said nonchalantly. "I have an affinity with mechanics." Zell sighed.  
  
"Hurry up, Zell there may be injured inside." Dr. Kadowaki rushed.  
  
"Hang on." Zell sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but the circuitry was out of his league. He has never seen anything like this before. "That should do it." Zell said connecting two loosed wires which produced a spark. The door did not open. "Oh com'on." Zell sighed as he punched the panel. The hangar door slid open. "See I told ya, I'll get it opened." Zell smiled.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki rushed into the silver ship and with her peripheral vision saw a couple adolescents on the ground. She checked their pulses and sighed. "They're dead." She sighed. "What's wrong?" Dr. Kadowaki asked looking at her teenaged escort.  
  
"It's nothing, it's just that those uniforms...they look familiar." Zell sighed with frustration as he tried to remember where he last saw them. There was only one inauspicious matter with using Guardian Forces the severe taxation of memory it requires to be used. (Could I have forgotten this?) Zell thought.  
  
"I'm not familiar with this sort of uniform." Dr. Kadowaki observed.  
  
"It can't be that important." Zell lied. "Let's check ahead." Zell said leading the good doctor into the next corridor. The door slide opened and the bridge were filled with smoke and electrical sparks sprouting randomly.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki quickly checked all the bodies. She went from body to body checking their status. Zell explored the bridge looking over the wreck. "My God." Zell gasped. "They're all teenagers." Zell observed with terrifying awe. "Hey Doc!" Zell called her full with fright.  
  
"What's wrong?" Dr. Kadowaki said anxiously.  
  
"I'm not sure, but is this..."  
  
"Ellone." They said in unison.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The bridge rocked again and smoke filled the room. Squall knew that they were losing this war and that reinforcements may be too late. He took a deep sighed and was about to give the order to ram Balamb Garden into the most densely part of the invasion force. If Balamb was going down she's taking most of the enemy down with her. Squall opened his mouth and was about to give the order until Xu interrupted him.  
  
"Sir a report coming in from Galbadia Garden. They said that Irvine Kinneas destroyed one of the black ships with his gun and Armour Piercing bullets. The report said that he needed at least two rounds to penetrate their shields to produce an engine breach." Xu reported quickly.  
  
"Order every available SeeD who knows how to use a gun to report to the armoury for debriefing. Give orders to the rest of the Garden fleet to do the same."  
  
"Aye sir." Xu said as she quickly sent the commands to the other Gardens. Squall's breath was taken away when he saw Rinoa and Quistis saunter onto the bridge.  
  
Squall pressed the general announcement chime. "All SeeD who is proficient with the gun, please see Lieutenant Commander Xu Tseng and Head Instructor Quistis Trepe in the armoury." Squall said looking at the two women in question. Quistis and Xu understood Squall's command and gave him a nod and left the bridge.  
  
"Rinoa, what are you doing here?" Squall barked. He wanted to rush over there and gave her a kiss and hold her tight, but they had other priorities that needed his attention much more.  
  
"We need to destroy the vortex and stop the reinforcements from coming through." Rinoa returned.  
  
"How?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but I know that it's a powerful spell of some sort from another world or something like that. What's worse is that it's drying up this world's magic to maintain it." Rinoa sighed.  
  
"Meaning what?"  
  
"All I know is any spells will not work when cast, nor our Guardian Forces summoned unless the vortex is destroyed." Squall was surprised with the news and wanted her to explain how she knew this, but he didn't have the time. Something in his heart told him to trust her.  
  
"This vortex, it's too high in attitude for any Garden to climb." Squall said looking at the data of the violet vortex. Gardens were marvel feet of engineering genius - a tribute for the engineers that created it, but it lacked the ability to go higher into the atmosphere.  
  
"Sir!" Nida said directing their attention to the bridge's window. Three fleets of Estharian airships came rushing through the dark sky, marking the dark sky with their blue laser beams and guns ports on high. A series of orange explosions and screams rang through the air. The hairs behind Squall's neck began to stand up at the sound of the unholy symphony.  
  
Squall looked at Rinoa who was standing very close to him. Her eyes were transfixed at the horrors outside. Squall looked at her and thought how beautiful she looked, especially with the explosions of the enemy ships high lighting the counters of her face. Rinoa was right, as long as the vortex is still open they were susceptible to an oncoming invasion. The only way to stop this was to stop this spell. Squall thought to himself.  
  
Squall with this insight rush to Xu's console and raise communication to the Ragnarok. Rinoa followed him and held him tightly around his abdomen and pressed her body against his back. She placed her head on the naked of his neck. Rinoa wanted this to be their last moment she remembers if they were to die. Squall on the other hand, thought that this was very unprofessional. "Not now Rinoa, I'm busy." He said plainly.  
  
His statement and his attitude towards her hurt Rinoa. She wanted to cry, but she was disturbed by a beeping sound emanating from the panel that Squall was playing with. "What are you doing?" Rinoa asked, her voice cracking.  
  
"Contacting the Ragnarok." Squall said emotionless.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Laguna was involved with the extermination of the invasion fleet when Balamb Garden hailed his ship. One of his crew handed him a report. Laguna smiled reading that the invasion fleet is retreating.  
  
"This is Commander Squall Leonhart of Balamb Garden. We require your assistance." Squall's voice came through the intercom.  
  
Laguna took a deep sigh. Squall's voice always reminded him of the past. He looked at his ring on his left hand and remembered Julia his first love and Raine, his true love. He lost both of them to death, and he missed both of them. "This is President Laguna Loire in command of the Estharian Airship Ragnarok. How can we help you Balamb Garden?" He said still looking at his wedding ring.  
  
Squall quickly explained Rinoa's plan to the President. Upon hearing the news Dr. Odine responded with frustration. He wanted to examine the vortex, not destroy it. Laguna sighed and weighed both arguments, but one thing he knew: Squall needed the Ragnarok to get up high enough in the atmosphere to reach the vortex. Laguna agreed under the condition that they were to examine the vortex first and then find a way of closing it. Squall reluctantly agreed and Laguna suggested a rendez-vous in fifteen minutes.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"The last ship has been destroyed." Nida reported with great joy. Squall looked at the navigator and smiled nervously at her. He knew that this victory would be short live because at any moment the fleet from the other side of the vortex could be sending reinforcements.  
  
"Good work, Nida." Squall sighed. He looked at Rinoa and he noticed that she was still holding on to his arm. "Contact Xu and tell her that I will be leaving Garden and that she'll be left in command, Nida you will be her X.O." Nida saluted her commander and returned to her duties.   
  
Squall looked at Rinoa and smiled. "I have to be going." Squall whispered.  
  
"Not without me you're not." Rinoa demanded.  
  
"It'll be dangerous."  
  
"I'm going with you!" She insisted even the more. Squall looked at her and knew that there was nothing in the world that he could say that would change her mind.  
  
"All right, just stay close to me." Squall sighed as they made their way to the docking bay.  
  
The Ragnarok brought back memories for the young lovers. It was the place where they first admitted their feelings towards each other. They looked at each other and walked through the bay doors of the Ragnarok. The two of them entered the Ragnarok and reported themselves to the bridge where they greeted the President.  
  
The Ragnarok engines roared as it prepared for space flight. Squall looked out the window and marvelled at the tiny blue planet. He saw on the night-side of the planet a purple whirlpool that covered the greater portion of the planet.  
  
"It's beautiful." Rinoa gasped.  
  
"Well it's now or never." Laguna said. "Dr. Odine are you ready?"  
  
"Do not interrupt!" Odine's familiar accent came roaring back as he tapped the recording instruments on the bridge. "Oh no." Odine sighed disappointingly.  
  
"What's wrong?" Laguna asked.  
  
"The vortex is shrinking." Rinoa said with awe. All eyes darted at her. "The balance of magic is slowly shifting back to normal." Rinoa explained.  
  
"Ah, you can zenze thiz? How intrezting?" Dr. Odine said ignoring the vortex as he gave Rinoa a sight examination. "How can you zenze this?" He asked holding Rinoa's chin with his hand.  
  
"Dr. Odine, the vortex?" Laguna asked.  
  
"Ah." Dr. Odine went back to his instruments.  
  
"Don't worry about Dr. Odine." Laguna smiled at Rinoa. "He's a true scientist, always interested in new toys and the unexplainable." Laguna jested.  
  
"Be quiet!" Dr. Odine rebuked with his arms waving in the air.  
  
"And demands on total silence." Laguna whispered. Rinoa chuckled at the remark, but stopped abruptly when Odine looked sharply at her. She sighed and walked towards Squall. She wanted to hold him, but was prevented by her earlier experience.  
  
"What are you thinking?" Rinoa whispered.  
  
(I don't know.) Squall thought to himself. (Perhaps our visitors from the vortex down in Balamb Garden or their attackers or the meaning of the vortex or my people down there or our relationship.) "Nothing much." Squall sighed. "I'm just worried that's all."  
  
"So am I." Rinoa sighed as she placed her head on his shoulder. "I'm also very tired." Rinoa whispered quietly.  
  
"I know, I know." Squall sighed holding her gently. "It's been a long night for us all." Squall comforted. Rinoa gave a gentle murmur and fell asleep in Squall's shoulder. "But I have a feeling that this is far from over." He sighed to himself. He watched slowly as the vortex shrank and finally disappeared. (What's going to happen now?) Squall thought to himself.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Writers Note: The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Final Fantasy Genre (specifically Final Fantasy VIII (game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents the product of the author's imagination (i.e. The black ships, Vesper, Tseng (Xu's last name)) and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.  



	2. Revelations.

CHAPTER TWO: REVELATIONS  
  
Xu Tseng, one of the highest-ranking SeeD officers in Balamb Garden has often been overlooked by many of the students by her calm demeanor. Although she was not apart of the legendary six that defeat Ultimecia in the time-compressed world, she is nevertheless a bright, intelligent woman with great expectations and a bright future. So much so, that she was even on the short list for headmaster when Cid abdicated his position for his superintendentory duties. Upon hearing the news she was truly honoured, but respectfully asked to be taken off the list. It's not that she couldn't handle the job, quite the opposite she was capable. She just prefers not to be in the spotlight.  
  
Xu walked through the corridors of Balamb Garden checking on the status of their repairs. 'Everything is on schedule' the methodical and meticulous Xu thought as she walked by. The universal chimes came on which diverted her attention.  
  
"Xu please report to the Infirmary." Nida's familiar voice came through. She sighed and redirected her destination and headed for the elevator. The door swish opened and seconds later she was on the first floor. The main floor was filled with the noise of repairs, junior officers and civilians. Xu smiled to herself, she was elated that life was slowly going back to normal. She walked down the stairs and turned right and took the first left to reach the Infirmary.  
  
"Someone wanted to see me?" Xu smiled as she walked into the Infirmary.  
  
"Yo, Xu come here." Zell's voice came booming from within.  
  
"What's up?" Xu asked entering the room where Zell's voice emanated from. Zell didn't acknowledge her question. He was intently looking at the patient lying in the bed. "Zell?" Xu placed her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Oh, hey Xu." Zell smiled nonchalantly and return his gaze to the patient. Xu noticed that Zell was looking at the patient full of sympathy and concern. "Do you know this person?" Xu asked compassionately.  
  
"Yeah." Zell sighed enigmatically.  
  
"A relative?"  
  
"You can say that." Zell sighed. "She's my big sis."  
  
"Zell, Don't be silly!" Xu playfully rebuked. "This woman is over forty years old. How can you -" Zell darted a staid look at Xu. "You're serious." She whispered in awe. "But how can this be?" She asked.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The Ragnarok broke through the atmosphere and was welcomed by the sun hovering low in the eastern sky. Things were quiet on the Ragnarok. Dr. Odine was working frantically over the data the vortex produced while the rest of the crew remained silent and took a much-needed nap. President Loire was awake watching the two lovers holding each other. He could see their dark silhouette as they blocked the rays of the rising sun.  
  
"Young love." He whispered to himself. 'How long ago was it when he was in love, eighteen, perhaps nineteen years. A long time.' He thought looking at the wedding ring he still wore. He was perpetually lost in the past. 'So short.' He thought. Time was moving swiftly by and Laguna could feel every second passing.  
  
"We're in communication range with Balamb Garden." The Estharian navigator reported.  
  
"Open audio channels."  
  
"Channels open." He replied.  
  
"This is President Loire in command of the Ragnarok. Request permission to dock."  
  
"Permission granted." Nida's voice came ranging through.  
  
"We'll be in synchronous velocity in fifteen minutes." Laguna said half to himself still watching the lovers gently holding each other.  
  
"Roger. Balamb Garden out." Nida said closing the communication channels at her end. Laguna leaned back and gave the order to begin docking procedures. It was a long time since he had any rest and he was feeling very tired. The rising of the sun didn't bother him; all he needed was fifteen minutes of sleep. Just fifteen minutes.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Quistis Trepe adjusted her thin wire brimmed glasses and patiently watched the sun rise as she waited for the Ragnarok. It was always windy on the docking bay, but she didn't care. Her mind was elsewhere; she raised her hand and parted her blonde bangs from blocking her eyes. In the far distant she could make out a small metallic red dragon hovering slowly towards the end of the docking bay. It was the Ragnarok. She quickly walked towards the hanger bay door and waited patiently for it to open.  
  
"Quistis?" Squall asked with a hint of surprise in his voice. "Where's Xu?" He was expecting his executive officer to greet him not the head instructor, he wasn't disappointed, just mildly surprised.  
  
"Xu, along with Zell, Irvine, Selphie, and Ministers Seagill and Zabac are in the infirmary." Quistis explained.  
  
"Kiros and Ward is here?" Laguna asked. "That explains why the Excalibur and the Masamune is in synchronous velocity along with Ragnarok." Laguna rationalized as he looked to his right and left and saw two airships docked at parallel parking speeds to the Ragnarok.  
  
"Are they hurt?" Rinoa asked.  
  
"No. They're fine." Quistis reassured. "Follow me and all your questions would be answered." Quistis said as she exited the docking bay.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Are you sure this is Ellone?" Xu asked.  
  
"It's her all right." Selphie sighed. "That is if she were in her forties." Selphie sighed. "Is she asleep?" She asked in her girlish voice.  
  
"No she's dead." Dr. Kadowaki sighed. The room fell silent - deathly silent. They were all thinking the same thing. 'How can this be Ellone? Why is she in her forties? How did she get on that ship from the other side of the vortex? Who and why were those black ships attacking her?' All they had were questions; they just wanted some answers - needed them.  
  
"They're back." Quistis announced from the reception area.  
  
Without a word Xu exited the room. "Over here Squall." Xu said as she walked towards him. "Quistis, Rinoa, President Loire." Xu nodded greeting each person professionally.  
  
"Umm...Rinoa, President Loire. There's something the two of you should see." Quistis tactfully suggested. Rinoa and Laguna smiled and nodded as they parted company with Squall and Xu. They quickly and quietly entered the room Xu came out of.  
  
"Report." Squall gave the simple command.  
  
Xu took out her digital pad and punched in a few commands. "Repairs to Balamb Garden is underway, they should be finished within three hours. Currently Balamb Garden is en route to its original location; we should arrive within the hour. Civilians and junior officers are back on board safe and sound."  
  
"That's good." Squall sighed.  
  
"During the battle we had several minor injuries and seven fatalities. Here are their names and family you should contact." Xu sighed giving Squall the names of the SeeDs that sacrificed their lives. Squall swore under his breath. "Is there something wrong?" Xu asked.  
  
Squall hated to loose anyone under his command. He also hated reporting their deaths to their families. He never knew what to say. Anything he came up with always sounded so empty. 'What can I say? They died in the line of duty? That they saved the world?' It all sounded hollow. "Nothing." Squall sighed.  
  
Xu smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "There will be a vigil in the Quad to those who knew and cared about them."  
  
"Anything else?" Squall asked trying to change the subject.  
  
"We were able to save six out of fifteen people on board the Destiny. The survivors are presently in comas." Xu sighed. "There is something else." Xu paused. "Something odd about one of the dead we collected."  
  
"Odd?" Squall sighed. "How so?"  
  
"Well among the dead there's a person that -" Xu couldn't think of the words to describe the phenomenon in the room she came out of.  
  
"What's going on, Xu?" Squall concernedly asked.  
  
"One of the dead passengers aboard the Destiny was Ellone." Xu said above a whisper.  
  
"Sis?" Squall said pushing Xu out of the way. As Squall was about to enter the room Minister Seagill was leaving and bumped into each other. They exchanged smiles and apologies as Squall pushed his way towards Ellone.  
  
"Is she?"  
  
"Yes." Dr. Kadowaki answered promptly. She was anticipating Squall's question.  
  
She lay silently on the bed, dead. Squall noticed that she was wearing her favourite green, blue dressed that he always remembered her wearing. Her face was worn with age, and weathered by time. 'She's twenty years older than what she's suppose to be.' Squall thought.  
  
"Squall what are you thinking?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Squall looked up and stared at her, than to Dr. Kadowaki. "Are we sure that this is Ellone?" Squall asked, his voice barley above a whisper. He knew the answer before he started the question. He could tell by just looking at President Loire and his friends surrounding the bed. She was very important to him, to all of them.  
  
Eyes darted at the doctor and she gave a deep sigh. She considered her words carefully. "For all intensive purposes this is Ellone, except that she's in her forties." Dr. Kadowaki protested.  
  
Squall stared at Ellone for a moment and in turn looked at everyone in the room. The students, his friends, comrades were looking at him wondering what he wanted to do next. An epiphany then hit him with the fortitude of a violent storm. "Xu, how many survivors were there again?" Squall asked.  
  
"Six."  
  
"Doctor, If I'm not mistaken Ellone was on the ship with those survivors, so maybe they'll have the answers we seek." Squall sighed. "Are we able to wake them?"  
  
"Yes, maybe, but I don't think -"  
  
"Doctor, we need to find answers."  
  
Dr. Kadowaki took a deep sigh and reluctantly agreed with her commander. She led the group into the other room where the survivors were sleeping. There were three men and three women lying on beds with monitors showing their faint pulses. 'They're not much older than I am.' Squall thought to himself. 'What were they doing on that ship? How did they know Ellone?'  
  
"Which one do you want me to revive?" Dr. Kadowaki asked.  
  
Squall looked at each person and noticed that they had on familiar uniforms, but he couldn't remember where he seen them before. 'Never mind that.' He thought, he had bigger things to worry about. He passed each student once and than pointed to a male. "That one." Squall decided.  
  
"Why him?" President Loire asked.  
  
The question surprised Squall. He was not accustomed for people objecting to his orders. 'Why not?' He thought. Squall took a deep breath and sighed. "I choose him because according to the command pips on his uniform he is the most senior officer. Which suggests that he's been on that ship longer and could probably answer more questions." Squall sighed.  
  
"Sounds good to me." Dr. Kadowaki sighed.  
  
Squall was glad that his justification was generally accepted. For some odd reason Squall felt a strange affiliation towards this child. This teenaged man was approximately his age with similar body build as him. His raven black hair was covering his eyes, but that didn't matter because they were closed. He looked familiar, he didn't know where, but Squall thought he knew him. There was just strange sense of familiarity and brotherly love towards him. 'Why do I think I know him?' Squall sighed.  
  
"Are you ready?" Kadowaki asked.  
  
"Wake him."  
  
Doctor Kadowaki walked to the opposite end of where Squall was standing and put a needle into his arm. "That should do it." Doctor Kadowaki said to herself. "He should wake momentarily."  
  
The raven-haired man slowly opened his ocean blue eyes and smiled as he saw Squall's face. "Father?" He said weakly.  
  
Squall was surprised at the response. "Hardly." Squall chuckled to himself. "My name is Squall Leonhart, commander to Bal -"  
  
"Where am I?" The raven-haired youth sat up in bed abruptly. Squall saw fear in his eyes and tried to calm him to no avail. "When am I? Who are all of you? Where's Ellone?" He asked frantically as his body started shaking.  
  
"Restrain him!" Doctor Kadowaki demanded. "He's going into shock."  
  
Squall and Irvine quickly pinned him down by his shoulders as he squirmed in his bed trying to break free. His ranting continued as Dr. Kadowaki put another needle in his arm as he slowly fell asleep.  
  
"So much for that idea." Squall sighed.  
  
"It was a good idea." Irvine smiled.  
  
"That was strange." Squall sighed.  
  
"Did he call you father?" Selphie asked.  
  
"He did." Squall sighed dismissing that wild thought. "He must be delusional. What do you think Dr. Kadowaki?" Squall asked.  
  
"Maybe." Dr. Kadowaki sighed. "I won't be sure unless I do more tests."  
  
"Should we try to wake another one?" Zell asked.  
  
"I don't think so." Dr. Kadowaki ordered. "I think we did enough for one morning." Dr. Kadowaki sighed. "We can try again later."  
  
"I agree with the doctor." Quistis sighed.  
  
"All right." Squall sighed. "We'll try later tonight."  
  
"All right then, everybody out." Dr. Kadowaki ordered. "That's includes you Mr. President."  
  
"Understood." Laguna sighed. "Commander. If you don't mind, may we stay here?" Laguna asked. "I like to see how this turns out."  
  
"Absolutely. I understand completely." Squall smiled surreptitiously. The last thing he wanted to deal with was dignitaries from another government. Even those that he knew personally. "Xu, would you mind showing President Loire and Minister Zabac to our VIP rooms."  
  
"Right this way." Xu smiled as the nine of them left the infirmary leaving Dr. Kadowaki all alone. They walked into the main corridor where Xu lead the President and his Minister to their rooms.  
  
The six remaining adolescents, the legendary six, congregated in the hall for a short breather. It had been a long time since they had been in the same room together. 'How long was it?' Squall asked himself. 'Almost a year.'  
  
"Yo, Squall." Zell said breaking the silence.  
  
"What is it Zell?" Squall sighed.  
  
"I don't know if you noticed, but didn't those uniforms seem familiar?"  
  
"I did." Squall sighed. "I just didn't know where."  
  
"Yeah, me too. I thought it might be the Guardian Forces preventing my memories from resurfacing." Zell explained.  
  
"Now that you mention it they do look familiar." Quistis sighed.  
  
"Yeah, now I'm remembering seeing them too." Irvine sighed. "It wasn't too long ago either." Irvine scratched the back of his head.  
  
"Me too." Selphie joined in cheerfully. "I know, why don't we check our journals." Selphie asked jumping with excitement.  
  
"That's a good idea." Squall smiled. "Albeit my journal is not that meticulous to include uniform decor." Squall sighed.  
  
"Nor mine. It's more like something Xu would write down." Zell sighed.  
  
"Rinoa what do you think?" Quistis asked.  
  
Squall was surprised that she was there. She remained very quiet ever since they entered the infirmary. "Are you okay?" Selphie asked. Rinoa didn't hear her question.  
  
"Rinoa?" Squall said giving her a little budge. Rinoa woke from her daydream. "Are you okay?" He asked with concern.  
  
"Yeah." Rinoa sighed unconvincingly. "I'm just tired that's all."  
  
"Maybe you should get some rest." Squall suggested.  
  
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea."  
  
"Quistis, do you mind showing Rinoa to one of our guest rooms?"  
  
"Not at all." Quistis smiled. "It'll give us some time to catch up." Quistis smiled. "Will you two be staying here also?" Quistis asked Irvine and Selphie. They looked at each other and smiled. "Well?" Quistis hinted.  
  
"Yeah." They finally said in unison.  
  
"All right." Quistis grimace. "Follow me."  
  
The six of them parted. The four of them headed towards the dormitory as Zell and Squall walked towards the main lobby of Balamb Garden. "Where are you off to?" Zell asked.  
  
"To the bridge." Squall sighed. "You?"  
  
"I think I'll catch some z's." Zell sighed. "By the way, do you know where Minister Seagill went to?" Zell asked. "He sure left the infirmary in a hurry." Zell added.  
  
"No, I don't." Squall sighed. "But I have a feeling we'll soon find out." Squall said ominously as he walked up the stairs to the elevator.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Kiros tapped the armrest of the captain's chair of the Excalibur impatiently. The Estharian Airships are the most advanced ships in the whole world. They're stealthy, fast, powerfully armed and most importantly looked cool. It has been a while since Kiros left the president and was wondering what he was up to. 'Is Laguna okay? Yeah, Ward's looking after him. He should be in good hands.' Kiros smiled to himself.  
  
"We're approaching the Airstation." The pilot announced.  
  
"Reduce speed and clear us for priority landing." Kiros ordered.  
  
"Aye sir." The pilot returned.  
  
The metallic red dragon airship landed on the Airstation without any problems. Kiros ordered the pilot to keep the engines hot and to wait for him.  
  
He ran on the transparent blue walkway towards an intersection where a floating transport disk hovered silently. He looked up to see a transparent hollow red tube above it. He sat on the disk "Presidential Palace." He said confidently as bluish white light surround him. The transport disk suddenly levitated and pushed in the direction of the palace.  
  
He wasn't sure where she was, but he had to start in the most logical place - her room. The transport disk was spat out of the transparent red tube onto the station closest to the palace. Kiros got up and ran to his right and took a left towards a tall, slightly concave golden building. In the center of this golden building was another floating disk.  
  
He got on and without saying anything a blue transport shield encased him on the disk and with great speeds pushed him towards the Presidential Palace. The great speed pushed his body into his seat as he saw the beautiful palace of blue transparent glass. He was suddenly deposited into the palace as the blue shielding disappeared. "I hope she's home." Kiros said to himself as he went further into the palace.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ellone always loved watching the sunrise over the great metropolis of Esthar. She loved the way the morning light reflected the transparent walkways and tubes that the ancient Estharian built. Ever since she's called Esthar home she has never missed a sunrise or sunset.  
  
"Come in." She ordered. The door slither opened.  
  
"Ellone." A familiar voice came from behind her.  
  
"Uncle Kiros." She smiled running towards him giving him a hug. "What brings you here so early in the morning?" Ellone smiled.  
  
"Laguna needs your help and ask you to come to Balamb Garden to do him a favour." Kiros said getting to the point.  
  
"Uncle Laguna." Ellone sighed. "He's not -"  
  
"No, he's fine." Kiros quickly reassured. "He just need you."  
  
"All right." Ellone smiled. "I'm ready let's go."  
  
"Come let's make haste." Kiros said grabbing her hand and rushed out of her room. "Our timing is imperative."  
  
"All right." Ellone sighed.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Rinoa couldn't shake the odd feeling she had while she was in the infirmary. It wasn't the same feeling that she got when the violet vortex was hovering in their atmosphere. This was a different feeling altogether. Ever since she met Ellone and those six survivors she had an odd feeling that they didn't belong here. Like they were not of this world, at least not entirely.  
  
"Enough Heartilly." She said to herself. "Your back in Balamb Garden, back with Squall." She walked to her window and saw a small island that they were heading to. She knew instantly that it was Balamb Island. They were almost there, almost home.  
  
"Rinoa?" Selphie daintily asked. "Are you okay?" Rinoa turned around and saw Selphie and Quistis. "Are you okay?" Selphie repeated.  
  
"Yeah. Fine." Rinoa said unconvincingly.  
  
"You don't sound fine." Quistis added.  
  
"Did Squall do something stupid again?" Selphie asked.  
  
"No." Rinoa smiled. "Squall and I are fine." She lied.  
  
"Really?" Quistis asked not entirely believing her.  
  
"Well, we're still trying to rekindle an old romance." Rinoa sighed. "It's more difficult then I anticipated." Rinoa sighed.  
  
"Yeah I know what you mean." Selphie sighed as she threw herself on Rinoa's bed full of self-pity. She grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it.  
  
"You and Irvine are having troubles too?" Rinoa sighed as she joined her.  
  
"Yeah." Selphie sighed.  
  
"How about you, Quistis? Please tell me people still fall in love." Rinoa sighed as she grabbed the second pillow and hugged it.  
  
"You two are pathetic." Quistis smiled as she joined them on the bed.  
  
"Just answer the question." Selphie sighed.  
  
"I'm married to my work." Quistis sighed stating the obvious. She walked towards the window and leaned against it. She tilted her head and looked out towards the slowly approaching Balamb Island. "Don't get me wrong, I love my work, but it makes poor company." Quistis sighed. "We're all pathetic aren't we?" Quistis sighed returning her gaze to the girls.  
  
"Yeah." The other two women agreed.  
  
"So what were you thinking about when we so rudely interrupted?" Quistis asked.  
  
"Those survivors and Ellone." Rinoa sighed. "I'm getting an odd feeling about them." Rinoa sighed.  
  
"Odd?" Quistis asked. "What ever do you mean?"  
  
"It's a feeling that they don't belong here - at least not now, but oddly enough they also feel like they do - I don't know." Rinoa sighed with frustration. "It's rather confusing."  
  
"That it is." Selphie sighed in agreement. "This is so depressing."  
  
"Yeah." The other two women sighed.  
  
"You know what I do when I'm depressed?" Rinoa asked.  
  
"What?" Quistis asked.  
  
"Ice-cream."  
  
"Sounds great." Selphie moaned with pleasure.  
  
"The cafeteria just got a huge shipment of triple chocolate ice-cream." Quistis hinted with a smirk on her face.  
  
"Really?" Rinoa asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah." Quistis smiled. The three women looked at each other and knew what they were thinking about. "Let's go." Quistis smiled as they rushed out of Rinoa's room.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Zell tried to get some sleep, but he couldn't. He was obsessed with those uniforms 'Why couldn't I remember them?' He asked himself. He kept rolling on his bed like it was an uncomfortable mass of rocks. The uniforms haunted his mind that he could think of nothing else.  
  
Zell yelled in frustration and got off his bed. He put on his Ehrgeiz gloves and started punching his bag hanging in his room. He let out some grunts of rage as each punch drove a little part of his frustration away. 'Why can't I get these uniforms out of my mind?' Zell thought punching his bag with more power. He had ravished through his journal when he and Squall parted ways to quickly see if he had written about those uniforms, but he couldn't find anything.  
  
It has been a long time since he felt this helpless. 'When was the last time?' He thought to himself. 'It must have been a year ago when we went off to fight...That's it!' Zell smiled to himself. "I know where I saw those uniforms." Zell exclaimed to himself. He grabbed a towel on his bed to wipe off his sweat and ran out of his room with serendipity.  
  
He ran out of the dormitory and continued running to his left. In no time he ran pass the Parking Lot, Training Center, and the Library. He almost ran into the Library, but remembered that he needed to find Squall. He ran into the Main Lobby, up the stairs and into the elevator.  
  
The elevator swished up to the third floor where Zell got off. He walked pass the former Headmasters Chambers towards a lift in the center of the room. The ancient platform lifted up one more time to the bridge of Balamb Garden.  
  
"Yo Xu, where's Squall?" Zell announced serendipitously, as he looked around the Bridge.  
  
"Just one moment Zell." Xu said. "We're in docking procedure right now." Xu said watching her panel and ignored Zell's presence, because she knew if they land the wrong way, paths leading into and out of Balamb Garden would lead to dead ends. There would be chaos everywhere.  
  
"We're over the designated spot now." Nida reported.  
  
"Good." Xu sighed. "Nida rotate Balamb Garden negative 12.5 degrees." Xu commanded.  
  
"Aye, negative 12.5." Nida repeated.  
  
The Garden slowly turned in position, hovering over their spot. "Good, begin docking procedures." Xu sighed. She paused for a moment and watched the scene outside rotate. "Hail the Ragnarok and Masamune and tell them that they could land in their designated spots." Xu ordered as she turned her attention to Zell. "Now Zell, how may I help you?" Xu asked professionally.  
  
"Do you know where Squall is?" Zell repeated his question.  
  
"Commander Leonhart is in the Training Center." Xu simply answered.  
  
"Thanks. See ya." Zell said. He quickly got off the bridge and headed for the Training Center on the first floor. Before entering the Training Center he junction his Guardian Forces and took a deep sigh and ran into the room.  
  
The Training Center was more humid then the rest of the Garden. It mimicked a jungle or rainforest very well. It even felt, like at any minute, that it would rain. 'Where can Squall be?' Zell thought to himself. He ran to his right and crossed the bridge.  
  
He ran into the room where there was a small island connected with a series of smaller wooden bridges. He saw a mysterious kid dressed in a green jacket with white khakis. Zell automatically noticed him as one of the Card Club Members. 'What was his name again?' Zell asked to himself. 'Card Magician Joker.' Zell said snapping his fingers.  
  
"Yo dude, have you seen Squall?"  
  
"Yeah, he went that way." He pointed to a direction in front of Zell.  
  
"Thanks man." Zell said running in the direction where the entrepreneur Joker pointed. In the distant he could see Squall fighting two T-Rexaurs. Squall ran towards the T-Rexaur on the right and triggered his gunblade as it hit it's nose. It roared with pain as the dinosaur to the left bit Squall on his left shoulder.  
  
"Yo, Squall!" Zell yelled. Squall turned around and saw Zell running up towards him. "Watch out!" Zell yelled. Squall quickly turned around and saw the right dinosaur coming towards him. He jumped and evaded the bite and slashed his Lion Heart down on the T-Rexaur's nose. It roared in pain as it fell down in defeat. The remaining T-Rexaur bit Squall on the other shoulder behind him. He scream through his teeth, that significant bite damaged him twice as it should.  
  
Zell swore to himself for his carelessness. He rushed to help his injured friend when he heard a violent rustling in the bushes. Suddenly a Grat jumped out. "Oh man! I don't need this now." Zell whined to himself.  
  
The plant monster looked like a four legged and four armed Venus Flytrap. Zell jumped up and down ready as the Grat came towards him and used two of its arms to hit him on the head. He blocked the attack somewhat, but was still damaged a bit and it still pained him. Without a second thought, he rushed towards the plant and gave it a strong punch. It screamed in pain, as it's four arms dropped to the ground and died. Zell had noticed that the monsters in captivity seemed to be weaker than in the wild as he looked over the dead plant's body.  
  
"Squall." Zell gasped. He has totally forgotten about Squall. He ran towards him as he saw the T-Rexaur turned around and used it's tail and knocked Squall down on the floor. Squall was on his knees in pain. Zell obvious knew that it was his fault that he was in critical pain.  
  
He dashed through the mock forest and caught up to Squall. From his distance he could see Squall pulling out a card and concentrated on it. 'He's summoning a guardian force.' Zell thought to himself. He saw that the T-Rexaur was preparing for another attack when Zell acted impulsively and ran in front of Squall and took the bite for Squall. He slowly got out of the way of the Guardian Force's blow.  
  
Squall took a couple of steps towards the T-Rexaur as he disappeared into a shimmering aura of green lights. The air surrounding the environment suddenly turned cold and Zell knew that Shiva was coming. A transparent, icy crystal stalagmite came out of the newly frozen ground and living within the stalagmite was a blue skinned nymph - Shiva. She opened her eyes and saw the T-Rexaur in her sights. She broke out of her icy prison and with all her might shot a wave of ice beams towards the reptile and disappeared.  
  
The T-Rexaur died in shock from the freezing cold. As a rule, reptiles didn't care much for the cold. Squall reappeared as he saw the second of the T-Rexaur died. The battle was over, and Squall was on the ground in pain.  
  
"Sorry man." Zell said as he rushed to his friend and cast Curaga on him.   
  
"It's my fault that you almost died." Zell sighed as he pulled Squall and rested him behind the fallen tree trunk. Squall rested his head and closed his eyes to catch his breath.  
  
"That's okay, it's my fault for turning around."  
  
"I still shouldn't have yell your name in battle."  
  
"You're forgiven Zell, and thanks for taking a blow for me." Squall said with a heavy breath. "It was stupid, but thank you." Squall said suppressing his pain. Squall had never told him, but of all his friends that he had, he considered Zell to be his best friend - not that he let him know about it.  
  
"No prob!" Zell brushed the selfless act off. "It's the least I could do for getting yourself in trouble in the first place." Zell smiled as he joined Squall behind the fallen log to catch his breath.  
  
"So what was so important that you risked my life for?" Squall with dry sarcasm. Zell was about to apologize again and then he realized that Squall was joking. There were times where Zell found it difficult to tell when Squall was being sarcastic - this was one of them.  
  
"I figured out where I saw those uniforms." Zell sighed.  
  
"Oh where?" Squall lifted his head with interest.  
  
Zell took a deep sigh and began his story. "You see I was so frustrated that I started to..."  
  
"Zell." Squall sternly warned. "Get to the point."  
  
"All right." Zell sighed. "You're going to miss an awesome story."  
  
"I'll risk it." Squall sighed.  
  
"I saw them, we saw them in the time-compressed world a year ago." Zell sighed.  
  
"The future SeeD soldiers." Squall said in awe.  
  
"That's right."  
  
"Are you saying that they're from the future?"  
  
"Sounds crazy I know, but it explains why Ellone is in her forties and it also explains the ramblings of the survivor we woke up." Zell sighed.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Squall asked.  
  
"Don't you remember what he said?" Zell asked.  
  
"Yeah, he asked a bunch of questions."  
  
"Ah, you're so dense!" Zell sighed in frustration. "What did he call you?"  
  
"He called me..." Squall's jaw dropped and looked at Zell. "You mean that boy in the infirmary is..."  
  
"Your son." Zell completed his comment.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Writers Note: I used the concept of cards to help Squall and company to focus their Guardian Forces dwelling within them. I found it easier to pass on a Guardian Force from one player to another via a material substance (i.e. the card) than have them switching Guardian Forces invisibly. So please no reviews telling me that Guardian Forces are not summoned in this manner.  
  
Disclaimer: The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Final Fantasy Genre (specifically Final Fantasy VIII (game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination (that is those that are not under the pervious citation) and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.  



	3. Temporal Storm.

DEFYING DESTINY  
By: Stiltzkin  
  
Author's Note: Sorry for getting this up late. I was busy with school and writing my Parasite Eve fan fiction. Hope the wait was well worth it. Sorry about the length, I'll try to keep it shorter next time.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
CHAPTER THREE: TEMPORAL STORM  
  
Laguna Loire was unpacking when he noticed an old photograph of himself and Raine before they were married. In the picture he was dressed in his old Galabadian uniform on his right hand was Raine, his future, now deceased wife was in her humble yellow sweater and blue jeans. 'She looked so beautiful.' Laguna sighed touching his wife's face with his fingers. He missed her very much. In the center of the photograph, in front of the couple dressed in her blue-green dress was Ellone with a big grin.  
  
He felt a presence in his room and knew that it was Ward. "She was so happy, when I proposed." Laguna smiled showing the picture to Ward. He picked up the picture in his huge hands and smiled. "The night I proposed to her was the first and only night we spent together." Laguna sighed as Ward handed back the picture to him.  
  
Ward looked into Laguna's eyes, the window to his soul and noticed that there was just sorrow, a deep unending sorrow. He placed his big hand on his shoulder. Laguna looked into his friend's eyes and sighed. "Just ghosts from the past, old friend, just old ghosts." Laguna sighed.  
  
Ward typed something on his pad and handed it to Laguna. He read the text: TALK TO HIM. Laguna sighed and placed it gently on the bed.  
  
"I can't." Laguna sighed. "It's been eighteen years. Perhaps it's better that he thinks that I'm dead." Laguna sighed. Ward counter-argued by putting his hand on his shoulder and giving Laguna a sympathetic look. "I know, I know." Laguna sighed. "He has to know." He sighed again. "How is it that I can never win an argument with you." Laguna teased. Ward returned his smile and reinforced his question by his silent gaze. He walked towards the bed and picked up the pad and waited for Laguna to answer. "I know, it's just not the right time." Laguna sighed.  
  
Ward handed him the pad with another text for Laguna to read: IT'LL NEVER BE THE RIGHT TIME. Laguna read. He gazed into his friend's eyes.  
  
"How did you get so wise?" Laguna smiled. Ward took back his pad and typed his response and handed it back to Laguna. "Ha, ha, very funny." Laguna replied sarcastically. "So why am I honoured by your visit, business or pleasure?" Laguna asked.  
  
Ward handed him a folder with a report. "Business it is." Laguna sighed as he quickly delved into the report. "It's a report on the spatial vortex from Dr. Odine." He spoke to himself.  
  
Ward watched Laguna reading the report. He saw Laguna's pupils dilated with interest seeing Dr. Odine's conclusion. "A temporal vortex?" Laguna said with awe. "Is Dr. Odine suggesting that the survivors and Ellone are from the future?" Laguna said in disbelief. Ward nod to his question. "Well at least it explains why Ellone looks like she's - well, my age." Laguna sighed. "Where does the time go?" Laguna sighed walking towards the window. He could hear Ward typing on his pad. Laguna smiled to himself. "It was a rhetorical question." Ward approached nevertheless and handed him the pad. "I told you the question was rhetorical." Ward pushed the pad to him and insisted that he read it.  
  
"Survivor's Ramblings?" Laguna read. "What do you mean?" Laguna asked with confusion. Ward gave an earnest look to make him think. "All right. I'll deconstruct this note." Laguna sighed. "The survivor asked a lot of questions, like where am I?" Laguna thought out loud. Ward shook his head and motioned his hands. "Before that." Laguna sighed. Ward nod in response. "Before the survivor asked those questions he...he called Squall." Laguna looked into Ward's eyes with awe. "Father." He said above a whisper.  
  
Ward grabbed the pad from his best friend and typed another note and hand it back to Laguna as he read it: TALK TO HIM.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Xu walked into the cafeteria and ordered a coffee for breakfast, she wasn't feeling too well. Today was the first time in her recent memory that she missed a sunrise. It was her favourite time of day, it was her element, her mother told her long ago that her name meant rising sun and every since then she had never missed a sunrise - that is until today. She considered it a bad omen.  
  
She brought her coffee to the dinning area to look for a solitary place to do some work. In her peripheral vision she saw three very sad, and very depressed women eating chocolate ice cream. She smiled to herself and walked toward the trio of women and thought that he work could wait. "Chocolate ice-cream for breakfast?" Xu smiled concernedly.  
  
"Triple Chocolate ice-cream." Selphie joyfully corrected. "The cafeteria lady thought it was odd too."  
  
"Let me guess, you're all depressed." Xu said.  
  
"How very perspective." Quistis sighed taking another bite of her ice cream.  
  
"Let me guess, men." Xu smiled.  
  
"That's right." Rinoa sighed.  
  
"Why are you depressed Selphie, you're usually happy?" Xu asked.  
  
"Nothing." Selphie sighed. "Irvy and I haven't spend much time together." Selphie sighed.  
  
"Irvy!?!" The rest of the girls said rather loudly, giggling.  
  
"That's what I call him." Selphie protested.  
  
Xu tried to contain her laughter and took another sip of coffee. "What about you Quistis, why are you so down?"  
  
"No man." Quistis sighed.  
  
"What about Zell?" Selphie playfully suggested.  
  
"You're kidding!" Quistis chuckled to herself. "Zell is like a little brother to me." Quistis sighed with a big smile. "Besides he's involved with Rene Gisho."  
  
"The girl with the brown pig tales in the library?" Rinoa smiled.  
  
"Yeah, how did you know?" Quistis asked.  
  
"I've frequent the library when I was here last and we talked on more than one occasion." Rinoa smiled.  
  
"What about those guys over there?" Selphie pointed to a table of three men watching Quistis eating ice cream. They quickly return to their duties as Quistis looked over her shoulder.  
  
"Oh, them." Quistis sighed. "They're just boys with crushes." Quistis quickly dismissed them as candidates.  
  
"What about Squall?" Rinoa asked.  
  
That question pained her, once upon a time she had feelings for Squall, but ever since Rinoa entered his life she backed off. "I find him unavailable." Quistis sighed. "And besides he and I are friends." Quistis quickly defended. "Besides the person he loves is you."  
  
"I'm not so sure about that." Rinoa sighed.  
  
"What did Squall do now?" Xu sighed.  
  
"Why does everyone think that it's Squall's fault." Rinoa protested.  
  
"Because it's usually the man's fault." Xu sighed.  
  
"Well it's not." Rinoa sighed. "It's just that he's been distant lately that's all." Rinoa sighed.  
  
"Don't worry." Xu sighed. "He's still madly in love with you."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"If you work closely with Squall as long as I have you know what he's thinking. Trust me, Squall has difficulty showing his feelings in public that's all." Xu said taking another sip of coffee.  
  
"Really?" Rinoa smiled.  
  
"Trust me, I won't be surprise if one day you two get married and have children." Xu smiled.  
  
"Aren't you being a little presumptuous?" Rinoa smiled.  
  
"Well just give some time." Xu smiled.  
  
The general chime rang through out the Balamb Garden. The women stopped what they were doing to hear the announcement. "Commander Leonhart, please report to the infirmary, our visitors have awaken." Nida's voice came ringing through.  
  
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Xu sighed. The girls said nothing and contemplated her statement as they finished their breakfast in silence.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Dr. Kadowaki was checking the survivors to see if they were medically fit to return to duty. Only four of the six survivors woke up from their comas. "Where's the other one?" Dr. Kadowaki asked only noticing that there were five people in the room.  
  
"Our commander is with Ellone." One of the survivors answered.  
  
"I see." The doctor sighed. "I'll be back in a moment." She said walking into the next room where Ellone was being kept. She saw the black haired boy whom she had revived earlier kneeing by Ellone's side holding her hand.   
  
"She must mean a lot to you." Dr. Kadowaki observed.  
  
"She was like a second mother." The boy sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry, she died before we could get to her." Dr. Kadowaki comforted.  
  
"I understand doctor." He sighed. "But it doesn't make it any easier." He paused. "How may I help you?"  
  
"I'm here to do a check up." Dr. Kadowaki said.  
  
"I assure you doctor, I'm fine."  
  
"You commanders always think you're invincible." Dr. Kadowaki sighed.  
  
"I'm hardly a leader, a commander." He sighed. "I'm just a lowly lieutenant."  
  
"Great commanders usually come from lowly lieutenants."  
  
"Commanders earn their greatness, not have greatness thrust upon them."  
  
"Nevertheless, you are their commander, no matter the circumstances and you must live with that." Dr. Kadowaki sighed. "All done." She smiled finishing the medical examination. "I think I'll leave you alone with your memories." Dr. Kadowaki said leaving the room.  
  
"Oh, Doctor." He said interrupting her flight. She turned around to see what he wanted. "Thanks." He smiled.  
  
"No problem." She smiled back leaving him alone.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki headed to her desk and started to file her reports for the medical records. Squall and Zell came staggering in interrupting her typing. Her jaw dropped at the sight of them and quickly got up. "Doctor, Where are our visitors?" Squall asked.  
  
"What in the world happened to you two?" Dr. Kadowaki asked checking over them.  
  
"Squall and I had a little mishap in the Training Center." Zell replied.  
  
"You boys weren't fighting were you?" Dr. Kadowaki sighed.  
  
"Squall and me, nahh." Zell said nonchalantly. "We're buds."  
  
"Well, let's go into an examination room, just in case you've broken any bones." Dr. Kadowaki sighed.  
  
"That can wait doctor, do you have a report?"  
  
"Yes, four out of the six survivors are awake, their ready to leave the infirmary if they wish. Their commander is with Ellone waiting for you." Dr. Kadowaki reported.  
  
"Thank you." Squall smiled.  
  
"And Squall you're mine after the meeting."  
  
"Yes ma'am." Squall sighed as he entered the room.  
  
"As for you Zell, come into examination room three."  
  
"Oh man."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
In his short life Squall had met several dignitaries and was never nervous about meeting them, but meeting his son was a different story. His stomach was in knots as he approached the black haired boy. "She's very special to me too." Squall smiled.  
  
"I know." He sighed.  
  
"Hello, my name is Commander Squall Leonhart."  
  
"Lieutenant Vesper...Vesper."  
  
"Leonhart." Squall finished. "My son."  
  
"Yeah." He sighed. "I...I understand how difficult this my be to you, but I am from your future." Vesper explained.  
  
"I know." Squall smiled.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Your uniforms, we saw them in the time compressed world."  
  
"I see." Vesper sighed.  
  
"How far in the future are you from?" Squall asked.  
  
"Twenty-five years."  
  
"Why did you come here?"  
  
"I don't know if I should tell you." Vesper sighed. "Not yet, any ways." He sighed.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"SeeD Temporal Directive." Vesper sighed. "I can't tell you anything just in case you change the future."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah." Vesper sighed. "That and I don't know why we came here. The captain and the first officer was killed in the attack and we suffering from amnesia all our short term memories has been forgotten." Vesper confessed. "There was only one other person that knew."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Auntie Ellone." Vesper said looking at the dead body.  
  
Squall looked at Ellone. "Could it be in your ship's computer?" Squall asked.  
  
"It could, that is if we could break the code."  
  
"Com'on, let's do it."  
  
"Father, you can't go." Vesper sighed. "SeeD Temporal Directive. I can't allow you to see future technology..."  
  
"I understand."  
  
"Don't worry, my best engineer will take care of it. She claims to have an affinity towards machines." Vesper reassured. He led his father into the other room where his officers were waiting. 'Would they accept me as leader?' Vesper sighed.  
  
The other three officers looked at Vesper Leonhart waiting on his next words. They knew that he was nervous, and he knew that they knew. Vesper took a deep breath and reminded himself that they were his friends. "As you may know, this is Commander Squall Leonhart and he would like to know why we came here from the future. Unfortunately the only three people that knew our mission are dead." Vesper sighed. "Since I'm the highest ranking SeeD officer alive I will take command." Vesper waited for a moment to see if any of his friends would challenge him.  
  
"Chill, Ves we'll follow your commands." Aurora smiled. Vesper knew Aurora the longest - all his life. She knew everything about him. She had beautiful royal blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair.  
  
"Aurora's right, we respect your authority." Blazed reassured. Except for the golden blond hair, Blaze and Vesper were identical. They were about the same height and build. They met while training to be SeeD and instantly connected.  
  
"Yeah, so just relax." Hope encouraged. She was tall, thin, and pale with long black hair. Vesper knew Hope as an acquaintance, he just met her on the Destiny when they were assigned to it.  
  
"Thanks guys." Vesper sighed with relief. "Aurora, since you're good with mechanics. I'll like you to try to decipher the codes to our mission perimeters so we know what in the world we're doing here."  
  
"Aye sir." Aurora acknowledged.  
  
"For the rest of you, I know how tempting it is to tell people about their future, but remember you are still under the SeeD Temporal Directive."  
  
"Aye sir." They answered in unison.  
  
"I...I guess that's all, the rest of you can relax." Vesper sighed.  
  
"I'll show you to your quarters." Squall said.  
  
They were about to leave the infirmary when Dr. Kadowaki came out of one of the examination room to catch them in their flight. "Where do you think you're going?" Dr. Kadowaki said putting her hands on her waist.  
  
"I'm showing our guest to their rooms."  
  
"Oh, no you're not." Dr. Kadowaki warned. "I have to tend to your wounds." Dr. Kadowaki explained.  
  
"Doctor..." Squall patronized.  
  
"That's an order." Dr. Kadowaki insisted. "And I'm only one of three people aboard Balamb Garden that could give you one." Dr. Kadowaki smiled.  
  
Squall sighed. "Who will show our guest to their rooms."  
  
"Zell could." Dr. Kadowaki smiled.  
  
"Sorry bro." Zell smiled. "She's got you."  
  
"All right." Squall sighed in defeat. "Zell, Please escort our guest to their rooms." Squall said giving the order reluctantly.  
  
"No prob." Zell said as he lead the group of future visitors out of the infirmary.  
  
"Oh, Doctor please tell me when the rest of my crew wakes." Vesper said.  
  
"Of course." Dr. Kadowaki smiled. "Now for you, please go into examination room one." She said to Squall.  
  
"I assure you doctor, I'm fine."  
  
"Why do you commanders think you're invincible?" Vesper smiled to himself as he heard Dr. Kadowaki's response and left the infirmary.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Laguna sat on the window ledge and watched life pass him by thinking about the meaning of life. He tapped the pad Ward left in his room with his last message typed on it. TALK TO HIM was the advice that haunted his mind. He knew that this discussion was inevitable and that there would never be a right time to talk to him. "After the meeting." He said to himself. "Maybe." Laguna sighed.  
  
The door chimed. Laguna put the pad down by the windowsill and got up to straighten up. "Come in." The door slide opened and the President saw Ellone standing. "Ellone." Laguna smiled running towards her giving her a big hug.  
  
"What's wrong Uncle Laguna?" Ellone asked.  
  
"Whatever do you mean?" Laguna asked innocently.  
  
"You may be smiling, but your eyes tell a different story." Ellone explained.  
Laguna smiled to himself. "Can't fool you can I?"  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I had a debate with Ward over a overdue talk that I had to make."  
  
"That same old fight." Ellone sighed.  
  
"It is an old fight isn't?" Laguna realized how long Ward and he had been fighting the same old fight.  
  
"Yeah." Ellone smiled. "What's this talk about?"  
  
Laguna took in a deep sigh and looked at his ring. He quickly debated if it was the right time to tell her. He took another sigh, he didn't care anymore, he had to tell someone. "Many years ago Raine had a child that I've never seen, because..."  
  
"Because, you went to Esthar to save me." Ellone completed his sentence. "I'm sorry that you've never seen your child."  
  
"I found him." Laguna said above a whisper.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I found him years ago."  
  
"Does he know?" Ellone asked.  
  
"No." Laguna sighed. "I think it's better that he thinks I'm dead."  
  
"You don't mean that."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Uncle Laguna, you should talk to him. He needs to know."  
  
"Ward has been telling me that for years." Laguna sighed.  
  
"He's right." Ellone smiled.  
  
"Listen, Ellone I called you here do me a favour." Laguna said changing the topic of the discussion.  
  
"What is it?" Ellone asked.  
  
"Come let's discuss this over coffee." Laguna sighed. "I need some."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Headmaster Sterne was early for the noon meeting so he decided to do some paperwork while he waited for the rest of the people. It was not unusual for foreign dignitaries to request a conference meeting with Balamb Garden, but it was unusual to hide what the meeting was about. This single fact weighed heavy in his heart.  
  
Cid passed the torched of head-mastership to Sterne about a year ago. The students at first were uncomfortable with the change of leadership, but in time they understood their new headmaster's way of dealing with things. Sterne hated surprises; he would rather know what this meeting was about.  
  
A few minutes later Doctor Kadowaki walked in. "Good Afternoon Stephen." She said as she took her perspective seat.  
  
"Afternoon Karen." He said not looking up from his work. The silence continued as the both of them consumed themselves with paperwork. Only sounds of paper being flipped over was present in the conference room. Moments later, Squall Leonhart, Xu Tseng, and Quistis Trepe walked in talking rather loudly about their reports. Everyone exchanges pleasantries as they took their seats.  
  
"We will begin the meeting when the rest of our party is here." Headmaster Sterne announced as he put away his paper work.  
  
"The rest of the party?" Squall asked.  
  
"President Loire call this meeting to order."  
  
"Laguna?" Squall was intrigued. "Why would he call a meeting?" Squall asked.  
  
"You're guess is good as mine." The Headmaster sighed.  
  
At that President Loire and Ellone entered the room. With respect everyone in the room stood up to greet the Presidential Party.  
  
"Please sit down." Laguna entered. "I'm sorry for being late, matters of state." Laguna sighed. "Let me introduce Ellone, she would be sitting in with this meeting." Laguna smiled.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you." Sterne smiled. "Let me introduce, Dr. Kadowaki, Lieutenant Commanders Quistis Trepe and Xu Tseng, and Commander Squall Leonhart." He introduced.  
  
"I know we all met." Laguna smiled.  
  
"If you don't mind, Mr. President, we'll have matters pertaining to Balamb Garden first." Headmaster Sterne said.  
  
"No, please go ahead." Laguna said. "I understand the burdens of the state."  
  
"Thank you." Headmaster Sterne smiled. "Dr. Kadowaki, how are our guests?" Sterne said looking at her.  
  
"There's six survivors, the last two of them, Thor and Zephyr were awaken. All six are in perfect health however each has a short-term memory. There is something else..."  
  
"What is it Karen?"  
  
"They refused to give their last names. I'm not sure if the forgot it, but..." Dr. Kadowaki sighed.  
  
"It's their temporal directive." Squall interrupt. Eyes darted towards Squall. "Given their last names may show their ancestral lineage and may change their past or our future." Squall said unconvincingly.  
  
"You don't sound convinced." Headmaster Sterne noticed.  
  
"I just don't believe that our future is written in stone." Squall replied.  
  
"Don't we all." Sterne sighed. "Is that all doctor?"  
  
"Yes." Dr. Kadowaki sighed.  
  
"Thank you." Sterne smiled. He pivoted his chair to face Xu. "Executive Officer's report?" He asked.  
  
Xu passed her report to the Headmaster. "Internal repairs are done, while external repairs would be done within the hour. There were seven fatalities during our skirmish with the black ships."  
  
"What do we know about the black ships?" Headmaster Sterne asked.  
  
"They don't remember." Squall sighed. "Part of their amnesia I guess. Presently our guests are trying to break into their computers to find any information." Squall reported.  
  
"Do you really believe their claim of being from the future."  
  
"Yes." Squall and Laguna said in unison.  
  
Sterne was flabbergasted at their response that he lost his train of thought. "How can you be sure?" Headmaster Sterne cautiously.  
  
Squall and Laguna looked at each other; they were surprised that the other answered Sterne's question. Laguna invited him to report first. "Their uniforms are identical to those found in the time compressed world when we faced Ultimecia a year ago." Squall reported.  
  
"I see." Sterne sighed. "And you Mr. President."  
  
"This is a report from our leading scientist regarding the nature of the vortex. As you can see it is in his belief that the vortex has temporal properties. He theorized that the other side of the vortex is somewhere in the future." Laguna reported.  
  
"Do you know how far in the future?"  
  
"Twenty-five years." Squall interrupted. "I've asked their leader." Squall said explaining his outburst.  
  
"I see." Headmaster Sterne sighed. "How is crew morale over this situation?" He said looking at Quistis.  
  
"The students are agitated and apprehensive over the recent skirmish." Quistis sighed looking over her notes. "There are a handful of students that were devastated from the deaths of their friends. I've told the other instructors to watch out for these particular students and report to me anything that may hinder the training process."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Do we know their reasons for coming to the past?"  
  
"No." Squall said quickly. "Only three people knew about the mission and why they came, but they're dead. Their leader put his best man to find out their mission on the Destiny, that's their ship." Squall sighed.  
  
"I think we could help in that department." Laguna smiled.  
  
All the others looked at Laguna and Ellone with surprise. 'What could they know?' Squall sighed. 'What's their plan?'  
  
"We're all ears, President Loire." Headmaster Sterne said.  
  
"I have an idea." President Lore sighed. "Ellone had this ability to bring people's consciousness from the present in another person's past."  
  
"I don't understand." Headmaster Sterne said.  
  
"Trust him, headmaster." Squall said. "Head Instructor Trepe and I have experience the same thing."  
  
"Is it safe?"  
  
"Yes, to the person being sent into the past they suddenly feel very tired and faint when they awake they see through the subjects eyes. It just feels like a dream. To the person in the past it feels like..."  
  
"Fairies." Laguna completed Squall's sentence. "It just feels like someone is watching over you." Laguna corrected very quickly. "People have considered it good luck."  
  
"Okay...okay." Sterne said defensively. "I'm convinced."  
  
"I have a question though." Squall sighed. "Can you transport people into dead subjects?" Squall sighed.  
  
"I'm not sure." Ellone sighed. "But there's no harm in trying."  
  
"She's right Squall." Quistis said.  
  
"When can you begin?" Headmaster Sterne asked.  
  
"Sometime this afternoon. I'm very tired." Ellone suggested.  
  
"Sounds good." Headmaster Sterne said. "Is there any more business?" He asked. There was no reply. "All right, meeting dismissed."  
  
Everyone started to leave. "Squall, Quistis, would you care to join Uncle Laguna and I for lunch?" Ellone asked.  
  
"I love to." Quistis smiled.  
  
"As would I, but I have things to do." Squall said.  
  
"Are you sure?" Laguna asked.  
  
"Yeah, thanks for the invitation though." Squall replied politely. "If you'll excuse me." Squall said as he left.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Squall grabbed his gun blade from his room and quickly went into the Training Center. He hated the idea of not knowing everything about a situation. He liked to be in control of everything, but when he felt powerless there was nothing he could do but train.  
  
He junction his Guardian Force before he went in. He carefully walked into the humid training room. He turned to the right making sure that he paid careful attention to his environment. He slowly walked across the bridge and suddenly a Grat jumped up behind him and hit him in the back.  
  
Squall quickly turned around to face his enemy. He saw the Grat's arm waving in the air expecting an attack. It did and Squall was ready for it. He jumped away and smashed his blade into the heart of the Grat triggering his gun blade and tasting the residue powder of the Pulse Ammo in his mouth. The Grat scream in pain and died.  
  
Squall hated the bridge in the training center there wasn't room to maneuver and it was where most of the student got hurt. He dismissed the thought out of his mind and walked into the room with the islands and bridges. He slowly, but carefully crossed them. He didn't see Card Magician Joker hanging around the solitary tree there 'What a strange fellow.' Squall sighed as he crossed onto the second bridge and walked toward the fallen tree.  
  
Suddenly there was rustling around the forest. Squall stopped in his tracks and tried to distinguish the sound. He heard three distinct tracks. Grats Squall thoughts, their movements were quick and stealthy unlike the T-Rexaurs. Squall was right three Grats jumped from the bushes and was ready to attack him.  
  
Squall took the insinuative and hit the middle Grat tasting the powder of his Pulse Ammo in his mouth. The Grat instantly died. In response the Grat from the right hit him on the head with all four of his hands. Squall ignore the hit, it was inconsequential to him. Squall knew that the one on the left would attack next, which it did. Again Squall ignored the hit as he got ready to attack.  
  
The Grat on the right died as the left one hit him on the head. He quickly counterattacked the Grat and it too died. The battle was won and he cast Cure on himself. He approached the fallen tree trunk and saw Vesper fighting ahead of him. Instead of running towards him he sat behind and watched his son fight.  
  
Vesper welded a double-sided sword in his right hand. Squall saw him dodged the bite and hit the T-Rexaur with the right blade and again with the left blade. 'Interesting, two attacks at once.' Squall thought to himself being very impressed with his attack. The T-Rexaur swung his tale around and saw his son fall down. Vesper got up quickly and attacked again the first slice inflicted critical damage as the second one finished the dinosaur up.  
  
Squall was elated. He was about to rush towards his son and congratulate him when he felt the ground rumble. 'T-Rexaurs and a lot of them.' He thought to himself. It was coming towards Vesper. Squall gasped as he rushed towards him. He saw that Vesper was not running away. 'He's going to kill himself.' Squall thought. He was too late four T-Rexaurs appeared before his son.  
  
"Run Vesper!" Squall yelled.  
  
He turned around and smiled at his father pulling out a card. He quickly turned around to confront the T-Rexaurs. One of the T-Rexaurs bit him, but the guardian force he was calling protected him. He didn't even flinch at the pain. Squall stood by and watched his son disappear in a shimmering of green light.  
  
The ground started to rumble and the sky turned into a sunset hue. He heard a roar coming from all directions as a huge blue muscular bipedal demon came up. It had a lion's head and large leather bat like wings. "Grevier." Squall swore to himself. The only time he saw this Guardian Force was in Ultimecia's Castle, he remembered how difficult it was to defeat it.  
  
Grevier swung his left hand and then the right hitting all four T-Rexaurs and then roared as four shimmering globes surrounded the enemies and rotated them towards the sky. "Shockwave Pulsar." Squall swore in awe. The four celestial globes orbited around a dark quantum singularity. Which exploded with dark energy draining the T-Rexaurs health. They were thrown to the ground with amazing power. Grevier roared again and disappeared as Vesper reappeared seeing all four T-Rexaurs roared with pain and died.  
  
"Your monsters here are weak." Vesper gloated.  
  
"Agreed." Squall smiled walking towards him. "Monsters in captivity always seemed to be weaker than in the wild." Squall sighed. "If you want a challenge I know a place where the monsters are the fiercest." Squall smiled.  
  
"The Isles closest to Heaven and Hell?" Vesper smiled.  
  
"Yeah, how did you know?"  
  
"You took me there several times." Vesper smiled.  
  
"I see." Squall sighed. "I noticed that you got out of your uniform." Squall observed. Vesper was wearing a tight black shirt tucked neatly under comfortable black leather jeans held together neatly with a black leather belt. On his shoulders were a long trench coat made from leather. His black hair was slicked back and his icy blue eyes glittered in contrast. Around his neck he wore a necklace of a star. On his right hand was a black bracelet that glow purple from time to time.  
  
"Yeah, I like these threads better." Vesper smiled. "The uniforms are too formal for me. Looked like pajamas." He smiled.  
  
"I agree." Squall smiled. "That Guardian Force, Grevier. It's awesome." Squall complemented.  
  
"That's not what you said when I found it." Vesper smiled.  
  
"Really?" Squall sighed dubiously.  
  
"You don't believe me?"  
  
"I don't believe that my future, my destiny is written on stone." Squall said.  
  
Vesper smiled to himself. "Funny you said the same thing about the past about twenty-five years from now." Vesper smiled.  
  
"Really?" Squall asked unconvincingly.  
  
"Father, I know that you didn't come here for small talk." Vesper sighed.  
  
"You're right." Squall sighed.  
  
"Now if you're here about our mission, Aurora is still having difficulties trying to decipher the codes." Vesper sighed.  
  
"No, that's not what I wanted to know." Squall sighed. "I wanted to ask you something."  
  
"Father, you know I can't tell you about the future." Vesper sighed. "Telling you that I was your son was bad enough...."  
  
"I just wanted to know if I was a good father." Squall interrupted.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Forget it." Squall sighed.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Squall stopped in his tracks and took a deep sigh. He turned around and looked at his son. "I just wanted to know if I was a good father, because I never had one." Squall sighed. "I was told my mother died shortly after my birth, crying my father's name, but..."  
  
"And your father?"  
  
"I was told that he left. I don't even know if he's alive or dead." Squall sighed. "I always thought if I ever had children would I acted the same way." Squall sighed.  
  
Vesper sighed and against regulations decided to break them once more. "You were a wonderful father." Vesper said putting his hand on his father's shoulder. "You and mother were always there for me, always ready to help me. You were a good father and she a good mother. Something I've never told you, either of you." Vesper sighed.  
  
"You just did." Squall smiled. "Thanks." Squall sighed. "What's that?" Squall pointed to the ground and saw a black bracelet on the ground that glow purple.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ellone walked with Laguna and Quistis left shortly after Squall exited the Conference room. They caught up on old times as they got to the elevator and went to down to the first floor. The three walked down the stairs and into the main foyer.  
  
"Ellone, Quistis, if you don't mind I've lost my appetite." Laguna sighed. "Would it be an inconvenience, if I didn't join you for lunch?"  
  
"No, not at all." Quistis smiled.  
  
"Sure." Ellone smiled.  
  
"Thanks." Laguna smiled turning left as the women turned the other direction. They went pass the infirmary where Ellone stopped in her tracks. She stared into the infirmary and lost track thought.  
  
"Quistis would you mind if you have lunch alone?"  
  
"No, go see her." Quistis said. "Do you want me to go with you?"  
  
"No." Ellone sighed. "I rather go alone."  
  
"If need to talk."  
  
"I know where to look." Ellone smiled.  
  
"Take care." Quistis said giving Ellone a hug and left her.  
  
Ellone took a deep sigh for courage and walked towards the infirmary. Dr. Kadowaki had yet to return from the conference room and she was relived that she was alone. Ellone went into the first room and saw herself.  
  
She was shocked to see herself. There was a saying: If one travels far enough one would find oneself. She never imagined that it would ever come true - that is in the corporal form. Ellone had seen dead people before, but she had never dreamed of seeing herself dead. She took a deep sigh and held her hand.  
  
Suddenly, the two Ellones turned white and blurred. Ellone frantically watched around her, and saw the whole room doing the same. She was afraid and wanted to let go, but she couldn't her hand was like glued to her older counterpart. A moment later both Ellones disappeared into nothingness.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"It's a chronoband." Vesper said as he watched his father observing the bracelet.  
  
"What does it do?" Squall asked.  
  
Vesper never had time to answer his father's question. Vesper and Squall saw the Training Room started to blur with a white glow. "Damn." Vesper swore as he fastened the chronoband on his father. Everything surrounding them was being blurred. Strong white hurricane like winds started to destroy everything that was enveloped in the faint white light. "We too late." Vesper sighed in defeat.  
  
"What's happening?" Squall yelled, his voice lost in the winds of time.  
  
Vesper turned around and saw that Squall was protected by a violet aura. He was relieved. He knew that he and his father were the only things in the Training Center that was not engulfed by the white light or being blown away by the temporal winds.  
  
"What's happening?" Squall repeated.  
  
"The world that we know it...is gone." Vesper said ominously.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Final Fantasy Genre (specifically Final Fantasy VIII (video game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. [2] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous clause, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.  



	4. The Race.

DEFYING DESTINY  
By: Stiltzkin  
  
Author's Note: The moment that I posted the third chapter of this series I instantly regretted destroying the reality created by the creators of Final Fantasy VIII. Oh well, que sera sera, as Dorris Day might say. I also apologize about uploading this chapter so late. I have to find out the reason why in most time travelling stories that I've read or watched on television, why meeting one's younger self is so dangerous. Mutual Inhalation is highly theoretical to physicists now so I thought I incorporate that idea to my story...any ways, I hope you enjoy this story.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
CHAPTER FOUR: THE RACE  
  
Squall was awoken by the noon day sun and by the singing of birds. The storm has disappeared; all that was left was the calm. The world was surprisingly clean, like the storm never happened. He struggled and squinted at the sun. "How did I get outside?" He asked himself. He turned towards Balamb Garden to find it missing. It was replaced with a tower surrounded by an electric fence. "Where in the world am I?"  
  
"Balamb Island."  
  
"Vesper? What do you mean this is Balamb Island? Where's Garden?" Squall said focusing on his surroundings. He saw the six survivors standing around him. "What just happened?"  
  
"It's called a temporal storm." Vesper sighed.  
  
"Temporal storm?"  
  
"It's a rare temporal phenomenon where an event changes reality, that is reality that we know it." Vesper explained.  
  
"You mean we're in another reality?"  
  
"Yes." Vesper smiled. "The question is how did this happened?"  
  
"Mutual Inhalation." Aurora answered.  
  
"Mutual what? I don't understand." Squall confessed.  
  
"Dr. Odine would one day theorize that when two identical particles occupies the same space and time would mutually destroy each other wiping their existent from time. The byproduct of mutual inhalations results in a temporal storm." Aurora explained. "The bigger the inhalation, the bigger the storm."  
  
"Wait a minute..." Squall interjected. "Are you saying if someone from the future travels to the past and meets themselves and...let say, touches them would wiped that person out of existence?" Squall asked.  
  
"That is an accurate example, albeit simplistic." Aurora replied. Squall swore to himself. "Why? What do you know?" She probed.  
  
"President Loire unilaterally decided to bring Ellone from my time to meet your Ellone in order to send someone from our timeline into your Ellone's past so we know what your mission would be." Squall explained.  
  
"You mean..." Vesper gasped.  
  
"...This is a world if Ellone never existed." Squall sighed. Silence blanket the seven individuals, it was damning silence. Someone needed to say something - Squall took the insinuative. "I do have one question though, why weren't we effective by this temporal storm?"  
  
"By these." Vesper pointed to the bracelet.  
  
"The cronobands?" Squall asked.  
  
"Yeah." Vesper sighed. "They anchor us into time. This device let's us stay just outside of our present time frame. It also allows us to stay in the past when we come from the future." Vesper explained.  
  
"Is that why you slapped this on me?" Squall asked.  
  
"Yeah, when I saw the event horizon of the temporal storm heading our way I instinctively slapped it on you." Vesper sighed.  
  
"And if these break?" Squall asked.  
  
"You will be succumb into this reality and go back to your original timeline and forget what has happened." Vesper sighed.  
  
"Ves, we must disable all the other cronobands of our dead crew." Aurora said.  
  
"You're right, we can't allow the people of this reality to have this type of technology." Vesper ordered.  
  
"There's just one thing I don't understand." Squall said. "If you knew that this mutual inhalation could happen why send someone like Ellone into the past that could make this happen?" Squall asked.  
  
"According to our Temporal Directives we're not suppose to bring anyone that has an exact counterpart into any timeline, but only Ellone could work the time ship, because she is the only one with powers of bringing things into the past. Combine with magic and technology we could use Ellone's power to open a temporal vortex into any time that she remembers." Vesper explained.  
  
"We're all done." Blaze reported. "What are we to do now?"  
  
"I don't know." Vesper sighed.  
  
"Can we go back in time and prevent this from happening? Go back and stop Ellone from meeting herself." Squall asked.  
  
"We don't have the technology." Vesper sighed. "Only Ellone has the power to bring us back in time, now that she's doesn't exsist, we're trapped here." Vesper said ominously.  
  
"There is a way." Aurora suggested. "It's risky though."  
  
"What is it?" Squall asked.  
  
"We have to find two particular Guardian Forces. We need the Cronos Guardian Force to travel back in time in this reality and then use the Atmos Guardian Force to take us to our original reality." Aurora explained.  
  
"Guardian Forces has never been used like that before." Vesper gasped.  
  
"That's why it's so risky." Aurora sighed.  
  
"I think it's worth the risk." Blaze said.  
  
"All right." Vesper sighed.  
  
"How are we to find these two Guardian Forces?" Squall asked.  
  
"I have Atmos." Hope announced showing her Guardian Force card.  
  
The group cheered at the announcement. "Anyone has the Cronos Guardian Force?" Squall asked. Everybody looked at each other and the party went silent.  
  
"I have an idea." Aurora sighed pulling out her hand held computer. "If I use this computer to detect for time distortions I could pinpoint the place where Cronos could be." Aurora explained punching a few commands in her computer. "According to my data the Cronos Guardian Force is located in a research center located in the south-west corner of the world."  
  
"You mean the Deep Sea Research Center?" Squall asked.  
  
"Yes, in our reality that's what it's called, but in this reality it's an Estharian Research Center dedicated in studying Guardian Forces." Aurora reported. "Unfortunately, the only way to get there is by airship." Aurora sighed.  
  
"Who has this type of technology?" Squall asked.  
  
Aurora typed the data into her computer and read her computer screen. "Only the Estharians." Aurora reported.  
  
"So all we have to do is get an airship and infiltrate the Estharian Research base." Vesper said. "Sounds easy enough." Vesper sighed sarcastically.  
  
"What are we doing standing around!" Blaze said with frustration. He pulled out his sword admiring it. "I'm tired of this planing, let's do something." Blaze protested.  
  
"He's right." Squall sighed. "We have to do something." He said reassuring his son. "Aurora what do we know about this place?" Squall asked.  
  
Aurora typed in Squall's request and looked at the information. "In this world there are five countries most of them are in a state of war. The countries are Esthar in the east, Centra to the south, Galbadia to the west, Trabia to the far north, and Harmony is what we called Fisherman's Horizon. Harmony is the only country that is neutral in all fighting and a great advocate for peace."  
  
"What about Balamb Island?" Squall asked.  
  
"Balamb Island was annexed by the Estharian Army and is now used as a strategic port in invading Galbadia." Aurora sighed. "On this island there is Balamb town to the east and an ancient cave to the west. Presently we are standing outside Balamb Prison." Aurora reported.  
  
"Balamb Prison? What happened to Balamb Garden?"  
  
"In this reality Garden never existed because without Ellone, Ultimecia doesn't have the power or technology to project her consciousness into the past and thus couldn't achieve time compression." Aurora reported.  
  
"And since the main purpose for Garden was to defeat the sorceress, there was never a need for Garden or SeeDs." Squall sighed.  
  
"Com'on, let's just get going." Blaze sighed with frustration.  
  
"We can't go anywhere without a plan, Blaze." Vesper sighed.  
  
"What plan? We're trapped on this damn island! Let's go to Balamb and see if we can get! Then come up with a plan!" Blaze exploded with rage.  
  
"Blaze is right." Squall said reluctantly. "Let's go to Balamb City to see if we could find a way out of this island and get to the Estharian Research Center to get Cronos so we can prevent this thing from ever happening again." Squall sighed. "Are we in agreement?"  
  
The whole party agreed. "Finally." Blaze said heading towards the town leading his friends. Vesper took a sigh and shook his head and was about to follow him when Squall stopped Vesper in his track.  
  
"Is Blaze always like that?" Squall asked.  
  
"Don't worry about Blaze, he's frustrated, and hates to be helpless." Vesper explained.  
  
Squall sighed. He had an odd feeling about Blaze that didn't settle well with him. He dismissed the negative feeling and followed the rest of the party.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Squall was amazed at the striking similarity of this Balamb Town to his own. There were slight differences, the main one being the Estharian Occupation. Estharian soldiers littered the streets of the humble town giving the town an unwelcoming aura.  
  
"Is something wrong, commander?" Aurora asked.  
  
"Nothing." Squall sighed. "I'm just admiring how similar this town is."  
  
"It makes sense." Aurora smiled. "Ellone didn't have much input when Balamb Town was built. Come, let's join the rest of the group." Aurora said as she escorted the commander to the rest of the party.  
  
Squall and Aurora walked pass the Gas Station and Car Rental place and into the town square where the rest of the group waited for them. "Where should we go?" Aurora asked.  
  
"Let's go to the harbour to see if we can get a boat off this island." Vesper suggested. "That is, if there are any objections." The crowd was silent. "Okay, let's go."  
  
The group turned to their left and headed down a ramp and circled around the Hotel. Squall looked out into the harbour and saw multiple Estharian Battleships in the background. He had a sinking feeling in his heart that they would not get out of the island by boat. They continued around the inn and walked towards the docks. Squalls feelings were confirmed. All the ships there were battleships; there were no commercial ships.  
  
"Looks like we're not getting out of here by ship." Blaze sighed.  
  
"Have faith, Blaze." Hope said.  
  
"Faith? We trapped in this island and can't get off!"  
  
"Don't be melodramatic Blaze." Vesper sighed. "There's probably alternative way to get out of here. If I remember correctly, there's a train station here? That is, in our reality there is one." Vesper sighed.  
  
"It is a good possibility." Aurora said.  
  
"Let's go find out." Squall said.  
  
The group went back towards the main square and headed straight pass the Junk Shop and the tiny Item Shop on the outskirts of the train station. They entered heading to the train that rested on the tracks. They headed to the Commissioner who greeted them happily. Play it cool. Squall thought to himself.  
  
"How may I help you?" The commissioner asked.  
  
"My friends are I are young and like to see the world before we get old. Could we buy tickets to get out of here?" Squall asked playing a role very much out of his character - he hated it.  
  
"Sure." The commissioner smiled. "I remember how it is to be young. How many tickets would you like?" The commissioner asked.  
  
"There are seven of us."  
  
"That would be seven thousand gil." Squall went to his waist and remembered that he left his gil pouch in his quarters, in his original reality. "What's wrong, friend?"  
  
"Nothing, I'll be back soon." Squall lied.  
  
"Be quick, this is the last train of the day. It leaves in fifteen minutes."  
  
"Thank you." Squall smiled.  
  
They quickly walked out of the station and into the courtyard where the Item shop was. Squall paced quickly with great anxiety.  
  
"What's wrong?" Vesper said.  
  
"I don't have my gil pouch with me." Squall said.  
  
"What?" Blaze said with frustration. "Why didn't you bring it!"  
  
"Blaze be reasonable." Squall said a little fed up with Blaze's attitude. "I wasn't planning on leaving Balamb Garden, and I wasn't certainly thinking that reality itself would change. So you will excuse me if I didn't bring any gil." Squall said with frustration.  
  
"I'm sorry for being antagonistic." Blaze sighed.  
  
"I understand." Squall sympathized. "I don't suppose you brought any money?" Squall asked knowing the answer.  
  
"No." Vesper sighed.  
  
"I have the money." A familiar voice came from behind them.  
  
Squall looked behind him and saw Zell sitting on the stairs of the train station holding his hover board. "Zell?" Squall asked flabbergasted. "Is that you?"  
  
"Do I know you?" Zell answered. "How do you know my name?"  
  
Aurora came to Squall and whispered in his ear. "This is not our Zell, but an alternate Zell." Squall should have guessed that.  
  
This Zell had a similar hairstyle but with red streaks in his blonde hair and there was no tattoo on the right side of his face. He wore a festive Hawaiian shirt over a white T-shirt and blue shorts with sandals.  
  
Squall stalled for a moment. He didn't know what to say he was never good in improvising. He looked at his hover board and something clicked inside him. "Are you kidding, who doesn't know Zell. One of the best hover-board surfers this side of Balamb Island."  
  
"Really?" Zell smiled walking up to Squall. "I haven't seen you around before."  
  
"We just move here." Vesper said.  
  
"Oh, in that case. Welcome." Zell smiled.  
  
"About the money, do you have it?" Blaze asked rudely.  
  
"You must forgive my friend, he's having a bad day." Vesper said trying to compensate for Blaze's rudeness. "Would you loan us the money, we'll pay it back."  
  
"Dude, I don't loan money, but you can win it."  
  
"How?"  
  
"By racing me with this." Zell said holding his hover board. "If you win, you get seven thousand gil, and if I win I want...your Lion Heart Gunblade." Zell smiled pointing to Squall's sword. "It's rather a good deal." Zell smiled.  
  
"Why would you want my gunblade?" Squall asked defensively.  
  
"I collect swords and blades." Zell smiled.  
  
"I thought you collect guns?" Squall asked.  
  
"No, I collect swords because my grandfather was a famous swordsman, why would I collect guns, they're dangerous?" Zell asked suspiciously.  
  
Aurora quickly whispered into Squall's ear. "Just because our Zell collects guns, doesn't mean this one does."  
  
"My mistake, it must be another Zell." Squall sighed.  
  
"So what is it?" Zell annoyingly asked.  
  
"Let me discuss it with my friends." Squall said.  
  
"Don't take too long. I don't have all day." Zell said.  
  
"Let's do it." Blaze said instantly. "It's our chance to get out."  
  
"What do you say father?"  
  
Squall sighed and looked at his weapon. He has been through a lot with this weapon and the thought of loosing it scared him. It made him feel naked without it. Then again they have to get off this island so they could get to the Estharian Research Center. "Who knows how to ride hover-boards?" Squall asked reluctantly. "I surly don't."  
  
"I know." Vesper said. "I'm pretty good."  
  
"But I'm better." Aurora gloated.  
  
"No way, I beat you three out of four races."  
  
"Actually, I held back." Aurora smiled.  
  
"You let me win?"  
  
"Yeah, I felt sorry for beating you all the time." Aurora smiled.  
  
"You let me win?" Vesper said not believing this new revelation.  
  
"Face it Ves, I'm better than you."  
  
"I want a rematch!"  
  
"Ves, this is not the time to be discussing this." Aurora smiled. "But that still doesn't change the fact that I'm better than you." Aurora teased.  
  
"All right you two." Squall said harshly. He felt like a father disciplining two squabbling children. "Aurora you'll race Zell." Squall volunteered.  
  
The party broke up and walked towards Zell sitting on the stairs. "So what say you?" Zell sighed.  
  
"It's a deal." Squall smiled.  
  
"So who would I be racing?" Zell smiled.  
  
"Me." Aurora smiled.  
  
"No way." Zell sighed. "I don't race girls."  
  
"What?!?" Aurora said feeling indignant.  
  
"How would it help my rep for beating a girl?"  
  
"All right, how about if throw my friend's double-sided sword into the pot." Aurora smiled.  
  
"Well...Okay." Zell sighed reluctantly.  
  
Vesper grabbed Aurora back and spoke to her privately. "What are you doing?" He said angrily.  
  
"You know you look cute when you're angry." Aurora mocked.  
  
"Cut it out!" Vesper whispered angrily. "How can you do that? My father gave me this!" Vesper sighed.  
  
"Ves, you're not thinking fourth dimensionally." Aurora sighed. "You'll get it back...eventually. Besides, it's the only way we can get out of this island. Plus I can't lose."  
  
"I thought you said you couldn't beat your father?" Vesper asked.  
  
"This is not my father." Aurora smiled. "Well, not in this reality any ways." Aurora smiled.  
  
"Why don't I feel good about this?" Vesper sighed.  
  
Aurora smiled holding his face with her hand. "Trust me." Aurora sighed using her puppy dog blue eyes.  
  
"Please don't look at me like that." Vesper sighed.  
  
"So does your boyfriend agree?" Zell sighed.  
  
"I'm not her boyfriend." Vesper protested. "But it's a deal. My double-sided sword, his gunblade for seven thousand gil." Vesper said. "That is if you beat my friend."  
  
"Finally." Zell sighed. "Let's get going."  
  
"Where are we going?" Squall asked.  
  
"To the beach." Zell smiled.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The white sands of Balamb Beach glisten in the bright afternoon sun. The crystal blue water of the ocean and the sounds of distant gulls brought the sounds of a virtual paradise. Squall and Vesper's crew stood along the sidelines with Zell's gang awaiting the race to begin.  
  
"All right." Zell sighed. "The race will consists of two lengths of the beach. First one to pass the finish line wins." Zell said.  
  
"What about the monsters on the beach?" Aurora asked.  
  
"Are you scared?" Zell teased.  
  
"Don't be condescending. Do we fight the monsters or do we surf around them? It's a logical question."  
  
"Chill girlfriend." Zell sighed. "We fight them. They're only Fastitocalon-F's here and relatively easy to fight." Zell said putting on his gloves. "That is if you're a good fighter."  
  
"That's all I wanted to know." Aurora smiled putting her claws.  
  
"Nice claws."  
  
"Thanks." Aurora smiled. "My father gave them to me." She smiled enigmatically.  
  
"The race will start by the sound of the gun."  
  
"All right." Aurora smiled. "Let's get it on." She said standing on her board, hovering above the beach.  
  
"I'm warning you, I'm the best surfer in all of Balamb." Zell said getting on his board.  
  
"Well I have something to tell you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm not from Balamb." Aurora smiled.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Vesper was anxious. His double-sided sword was precious to him. He bit his lower lip and was trembling slightly. He tapped his right foot unconsciously. "Com'on Aurora." He sighed to himself. "You can do it."  
  
"You sound nervous." Squall said making an observation.  
  
"Yeah, Aurora never beat him before."  
  
"Aurora and Zell challenged each other before."  
  
"Yeah, in the future." Vesper sighed. "He actually taught her how to surf on his own board." Vesper smiled.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"You sound unconvinced."  
  
"It's just that Zell is usually possessive with his personal things and space." Squall sighed.  
  
"That's true, but this was an isolated incident."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"She's his daughter." Vesper simply answered.  
  
"What?" Squall gasped. Vesper didn't have a chance to explain as the gunshot echoed throughout the air. The race has begun.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Zell and Aurora dashed ahead, leaving a white, translucent dust behind them. They were neck to neck at the commencement of the race. Aurora could feel the wind brushing against her face, parting her golden hair flowing in the wind. The only thing she could hear was the sound of rushing wind and the distant sound of crowds cheering. They traded the lead, first Zell than Aurora and then Zell again. Aurora was about to take the lead the second time when two Fastitocalon-F's popped up in front up her.  
  
"Eat my dust." Zell smiled surfing away.  
  
"Don't count me out yet!" She yelled at him.  
  
The two fishes glistening reddish-yellow in the light of the sun. Their anterior dorsal fin stood sharp up, blazing a fiery orange-yellow in the light. They float in the air magically as they prepare for attack. Aurora stretched out her arms ready for the fight.  
  
She jumped off her board slashing the Fastitocalon-F on the right. It fluttered in the air and fell down lifeless. The second Fastitocalon-F flew to her head and bit her doing a somersault in the air as it did it. The damage was insignificant to her and she ignored it. She attacked the remaining Fastitocalon-F with her claws and did a back flip and landed on her hover board witnessing the fish floating down in defeat.  
  
Zell was fighting three Fastitocalon-Fs about two lengths in front of her. She pushed her board into full gear and thought that this was her chance to take the lead. She smiled as she passed him. "See you at the finish line."  
  
"The race is not yet over!" Zell yelled killing the second Fastitocalon-F. Aurora smiled taking a whole length lead over her father. In her peripheral vision she could see Zell jumping back on his hover board and was in hot pursuit. Aurora was still a length ahead when they came to the midway point when three Fastitocalon-Fs jumped up. They danced magically in the air as they waited for her to attack.  
  
Aurora took the insinuative and jumped off her board attacking the Fastitocalon-F to the far right, killing it instantly, before she even landed on the ground. The middle Fastitocalon-F tried to cast sleep on Aurora, but failed in its attempt. The third fish flew quickly toward her and bumped her on the head claiming insignificant damage.  
  
Aurora ran towards the middle target and gave a palm uppercut using the serrated blades of her claws to deal maximum damage. The Fastitocalon-F floated slowly to the ground dead. Aurora heard Zell's hover board humming by as she closed her eyes keeping the dust out of her eyes. The remaining Fastitocalon-F bit Aurora on the head doing a beautiful somersault in midair, a victory dance for making contact.  
  
She wasted no time in attacking the last Fastitocalon-F and slashed the fish with her left hand doing a back flip and landed on her board to continue the race. Zell was one length ahead of her. She leaned forward trying to make her body as aerodynamic as possible. Zell's lead was quickly reduced to a half a board. They were two lengths away from the finish line when a Fastitocalon-F jumped in front of Aurora.  
  
"I don't have time for you." Aurora said jumping off her board quickly, slashing the fish, and jumped back on her hover board as the Fastitocalon-F died. Zell feeling assured of his victory turned around and surfed backwards watching his opponent. He was about half a length to the finish line when an Adamantoise popped up behind him.  
  
"Zell look behind you!" Aurora yelled.  
  
"I'm not falling for that." Zell smiled smugly.  
  
"Stubborn fool." Aurora sighed to herself. "Was my father really this arrogant?" She asked rhetorically. Aurora leaned forward to build up speed. She saw Zell bumped into the gigantic tortoise and flipped forward. "Men." Aurora sighed as she pulled out a card.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"What's she doing?" Squall asked.  
  
"Calling her favourite summon." Vesper smiled seeing that she had a chance to win and more importantly a chance to keep his sword.  
  
"If she miscalculate..."  
  
"Aurora? Miscalculate? That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one." Vesper smiled. "There are many things that you can rely on, like the sun rising in the east and Aurora doing complicated computations in her head to perfection. Trust me, she timed it properly all right." Vesper smiled to himself.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Aurora saw the giant tortoise coming quickly approaching her as she disappeared in a shimmering of green light. The surrounding sky darkens and the earth rumbled as muscular bipedal white lion with small lavender, pink wings appear in a loud roar.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Holy..." Squall gasped.  
  
"That's right father." Vesper sighed. "That's Madeen, Aurora's favourite Guardian Force. Its Terra Homing attack has holy magic properties."  
  
Squall composed himself. "I like it because it's a lion." Squall smiled.  
  
"Me too." Vesper sighed. "I was reluctant to give it to when I found it, but Aurora liked it so much that I didn't have the heart not to give it to her." Vesper sighed reminiscently.  
  
"No regrets?"  
  
"Nah." Vesper sighed. "It fits her demeanor more than it fits me."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Madeen roar swinging his left arm, than his right discharging holy magic from it claws. The shimmering white spheres headed towards the Adamantoise. Several bands of blinding, brilliant white spheres surrounded the turtle as it lifted the Adamantoise high in the air. The bands of spheres encompassed the giant turtle shrinking to a point where only one blinding holy light endured inflicting serious damage to the turtle as it fell on the beach. The turtle struggled and roared and died.  
  
Aurora reappeared just in time to see the turtle die passing Zell. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up onto her board and crossed the finish. "I win!" She said in glee.  
  
She could hear her party cheering for her, but quickly noticed that the rest of Zell's party left the beach. "What happened?" Aurora asked. The party looked around and saw that they were alone on the beach.  
  
"Are you mad?" Zell gasped in fear.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Guardian Forces and magic is forbidden under Estharian Law. The punishment is death." Zell said slowly backing away.  
  
"What about our money." Blaze demanded.  
  
"Here. Take it and leave me alone." Zell said throwing some coins on the ground. He than hovered away with great fear.  
  
"Great." Squall sighed. "For now on, we have to be careful when using our Guardian Forces." Squall said. In the corner of his eye he saw Blaze picking up the coins on the shore. "How much gil did he leave?"  
  
"Just over a hundred gil." Blaze said with frustration. "He ripped us off!" Blaze exasperated. Squall could see steam coming out of Blaze's head when he discovered Zell's deception.  
  
"What do we do now?" Vesper sighed.  
  
"We hunt him down and get our money." Blaze adamantly suggested.  
  
"No, forget it." Squall sighed. "It's been a long day and we're all tired. Let's just rent a couple of rooms in the inn and get some rest. We'll think of something in the morning." Squall sighed.  
  
"All right." Blaze exasperated reluctantly. "The sooner we can get off this island the better." He said heading back towards the town leaving his friends behind.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Final Fantasy Genre (specifically Final Fantasy VIII & IX (video games)) is not my invention and is the property of Square - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. [2] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous clause, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.  



	5. The Great Escape.

DEFYING DESTINY  
By: Stiltzkin  
  
Author's Note: Sorry for getting this up late...I've been swamped with work at school. Those pesky Independent Projects and tests could get in the way of writing...Anyway, hope you enjoy this segment of my story.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
CHAPTER FIVE: THE GREAT ESCAPE  
  
The enchanting song of the lark woke Vesper up. Unlike his father, he was always a light sleeper, but he didn't mind. He liked the dawn; it was his quiet time, a time where no one could bother him with trivial command decisions and the hustle and bustle of life. He sat up on his bed and looked over to the men in his party.  
  
Squall, his father slept silently with his gunblade at the ready. Blaze held onto his sword in its sheath protecting it like a baby. Then in the furthest bed was Thor, his axe was safely leaning against the nightstand. He quietly got up from his bed and put on his black leather jeans on and walked barefoot to the terrace to get a breath of fresh air.  
  
The cold wind embraced his naked torso as he took in the skyline. It reminded him of home. Vesper preferred times of sunsets than sunrise, but when he's tired he'll take either. 'I need some coffee.' He thought to himself taking a deep breath. He was about to go back in when he saw Aurora sitting by the docks, just outside of the entrance to the inn. 'What is she doing up?' Vesper thought to himself. It wasn't unusual for Aurora to be watching the sunrise, but to do it alone usually means one thing - she's depressed.  
  
Vesper was compelled to console her. He went back inside grabbed his black shirt and put it on. He fastened his belt and put on his boots quickly. He fixed his hair and grabbed his black leather trench coat and exited the room. Vesper grabbed his double-sided sword and hid it really well in his trench coat. He went downstairs telling the porter that he would be outside.  
  
The night air was cool and crisp as he approached Aurora. She was wearing her sleeveless black leather shirt with matching black leather paints with a black leather belt around her waist. Her knee high black boots rested next to her allowing her feet to get wet in the water.  
  
"Good morning, Ves." Aurora said, her eyes still fixated on the horizon. The sun was just about to peep over the skyline.  
  
"How do you do that?"  
  
"You don't really want to know. Do you?" Aurora smiled.  
  
"Yeah I do." Vesper said joining his best friend on the dock.  
  
"Still not telling."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"Don't you say good morning anymore?"  
  
"All right." Vesper sighed. "Good Morning."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Now tell me." Vesper sighed.  
  
"You're so incorrigible."  
  
"I know that's why you love me so." Vesper bantered back.  
  
"You wish Leonhart."  
  
Vesper smiled at the remark sighing. "So what's on your mind?" Vesper asked, his voice of solemn seriousness.  
  
"Nothing." Aurora sighed, rubbing her arms trying to keep warm.  
  
"Didn't your mother tell you to dress warmly?" Vesper sighed, taking off his trench coat. He took out his double-sided sword from his trench coat and draped the coat across her shoulders.  
  
"Constantly." Aurora sighed. "I just wish that my mother WAS really here." Aurora sighed. "I need to talk to her."  
  
"Ah, men trouble." Vesper smiled. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"Ves, no offense but there are some things that even we can't talk about, especially on this subject matter."  
  
"Try me." Vesper smiled. "Aurora, you're my best friend, and I hate seeing you so depressed." Vesper sighed.  
  
"All right." Aurora sighed. "There's this guy..."  
  
"Ohh." Vesper said playfully.  
  
"See this isn't going to work." Aurora objected.  
  
"I'm sorry, please try again." Vesper smiled. Aurora gazed into his eyes searching if she could truly trust him. "Please." Vesper said using his baby blue eyes very sympathetically and flashed his boyish good smile.  
  
"All right." Aurora gave in. "Just stop looking at me like that."  
  
"Okay." Vesper smiled. "So there's this guy..."  
  
"Yeah, I'm very infatuated with him." Aurora sighed. "Of course being a man he doesn't even notice my feelings for him." Aurora sighed. "Is this too uncomfortable for you?"  
  
"No." His voice cracked. "Now stop stalling." Vesper said, regaining control of his voice.  
  
"All right, I've been having these feelings for this boy for a long time, but I wasn't sure if he feels the same way towards me."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He sees me just as a friend."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah, I could tell by the way he looks at me." Aurora sighed.  
  
"You know him that well?"  
  
"Yeah." Aurora sighed. "Typical man really, blind and dense to things that really matters, especially those concerning the heart." Aurora sighed.  
  
"Well if you ask me this guy is a moron if he doesn't see how much you love him." Vesper sighed.  
  
"You wouldn't be calling him a moron, if you knew who he was."  
  
"Why is it a close friend of mine?" Vesper asked. "Please don't say its Blaze." Vesper sighed.  
  
"What if it is?"  
  
"Is it?"  
  
"Hypothetically speaking, let's say yes."  
  
"Hypothetically speaking, it will be difficult for me to see both of my best friends in a romantic context, but that's my problem and not yours. I'll be happy if you are." Vesper smiled. "Now please take the hypothetical out of this situation, are you in love with Blaze?"  
  
"No." Aurora sighed. "But he's just as moronic as Blaze." Aurora mocked playfully.  
  
"Well I guess he's in good company." Vesper smiled.  
  
"There they are!" A voice came from behind them. Both of them turned and saw one of Zell's friends speaking to three Estharian Guards. "That's the girl and her friend that were using Guardian Forces." He said pointing to them. "The rest of them are probably in the inn."  
  
"I think we will have to finish this discussion a little later." Vesper said grabbing his two-sided sword.  
  
"Yeah, I think you're right." Aurora said quickly putting on her boots and claws. "Here." Aurora said giving Vesper back his trench coat. "I fight better without this." She explained.  
  
Vesper got up and ceremoniously draped the jacket over his shoulders. The two Estharian Soldiers rang for backup and then rush towards them. "Stop. You're under arrest." A robotic voice came from the cyborg guard. Two human Esthar Soldier usually accompanies a cyborg.  
  
"Care for a fight?"  
  
"Love too." Aurora smiled.  
  
They ready their weapons as the fight begun. The middle soldier, the cyborg, rushed towards Vesper and used its plasma gunblade and slashed him with inhuman strength. Vesper quickly counterattacked. His right blade slashed strongly feeling the metallic structure resisting. The left blade followed suit as Vesper heard the sound of metal on his blade. Aurora follow his lead and used both of her hands ambidextrously inflicting a fatal blow to the Estharian Cyborg Soldier.  
  
The human guard on the right cast Blizzaga on Aurora. She felt her immediate surrounding environment got colder as a huge, clear blue iceberg fell on her. She flinched with pain from the powerful spell. Vesper filled with rage ran towards the guard, which cast the spell and hit him critically with both his blades, killing the guard in the process. The remaining soldier aimed his plasma gunblade and shoot Vesper. He could feel the energy pulse coarse through his body.  
  
Aurora dashed towards the remaining soldier and slashed the remaining soldier with her right claw damaging him seriously. She could see him limping with pain as he used a potion on himself. Vesper in a heartbeat ran towards him and slashed him once with each blade killing him in the process. The battle has won.  
  
"You okay?" Vesper said out of breath.  
  
"Yeah, just a little weak."  
  
"Let me cast Curaga on you." Vesper said.  
  
"No, she protested we can't use magic."  
  
"It's too late they all ready know, and I'm not asking you for permission." Vesper said as he cast the spell on her. "Come let's go warn the rest of the group." Vesper said grabbing her hand and rushed upstairs to their respective rooms.  
  
Vesper went into the men's room and woke everyone up and tried quickly to warn them to what was happening and asked them to get dressed, but his warnings were dwarfed when three Estharian Soldiers burst into their room. The rest of the men jumped at the ready.  
  
The cyborg quickly attacked with his plasma gunblade and slashed Squall with machinelike powers. Squall quickly counterattacked triggering his gunblade upon connection. The gunpowder was a familiar and comforting smell for him. Blaze followed suit quickly and finished off the cyborg with a great slash from his sword.  
  
The soldier on the right shot plasma energy from its gunblade at Blaze. The energy coursed through his body, which he rather enjoyed. Thor lifted his axe and swung it around his head as he slammed it on top of the Estharian Soldier on the right. He was quickly followed by Vesper as he felt flesh to blade and killed the solider before the left blade completed it's arc.  
  
The final guard cast Blizzaga on Vesper and felt his surrounding air turned icy cold. A huge, clear blue iceberg fell on him with great force. He flinched with pain and got on one knee. Vesper was critically injured. Squall seeing his son in pain rushed towards the soldier and hit him hard triggering his gunblade killing him instantly.  
  
"Are you okay?" Squall asked breathlessly.  
  
"I'm fine." Vesper said weakly. "Go! Get ready to get out of here." Vesper said, casting Curaga on himself.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The women from the room across the hall were experiencing the same problems as the men simultaneously. Three Estharian soldiers burst into their rooms, but the women were prepared for them.  
  
Without a second thought Aurora rushed towards the metallic cyborg soldier and with both hands slashed the metallic soldier. Her claws vibrated with the overpowered hit. Zephyr ran quickly towards the center soldier and twirled her morning star many time and smashed it on the head of the cyborg leaving a slight dent in it's armour. The cyborg rushed towards Hope and slashed his plasma gunblade at her. She wenched in pain and twirled her rod in her hand and slapped the cyborg on the same side Zephyr hit him. The cybernetic soldier fell down in defeat.  
  
The soldier on the right gave a slash to Zephyr while the other one slashed Aurora. They flinched with pain as Aurora quickly ran towards the soldier on the right and slashed it with her claws. The feeling of flesh on blade was more preferable than metal. Hope quickly followed suit as she twirled her morning star in the air bashing the soldier on the head. It fell down slumpishly.  
  
The human guard on the left cast Blizzaga on Aurora. She felt her immediate surrounding environment got colder as a huge, clear blue iceberg fell on her. 'Why me?' She sighed. 'I'm beginning to hate the cold.' She sighed to herself. Zephyr ran towards the last soldier and knocked it hard using her rod. There was a momentarily pause in the battle, Aurora thought that the Estharian soldier was about to attack, but oddly didn't. She dismissed the thought and gave the fatal slash as it fell to the ground with silent ease.  
  
"Are you girls okay?" Vesper asked coming into their room.  
  
"Yeah, just fine. You boys ready?" Aurora smiled.  
  
"Yeah, let's get out of here." Vesper said.  
  
The seven ran down the stairs and were greeted by another three Estharian Soldiers that just came through the main hotel door. Being outnumbered by two to one, they quickly fell down. Vesper and his crew in tandem with Squall rushed to their right and up the ramp where they appeared in the Town's Square. The party of seven met another four Estharian Soldiers all cyborg.  
  
A battle ensued before the team could react the lead soldier punch a command on his armband to summon a mechanical hovering torso sans any limbs, no head, no arms, and no legs. It was just a huge torso and big shoulders and a thin body. Squall swore to himself with fear.  
  
"What is that?" One of the future children asked.  
  
"Estharian concoction, in our world they call it: Mobile Type 8." Squall said quickly. "Everyone forget about the soldiers and hit that machine." Squall said as he drew out a card.  
  
Vesper smiled to himself. 'To hell with the rules.' He ran towards the Mobile Type 8 and slashed it with his right blade then his left. The Mobile Type 8 quickly counterattacked with Twin Homing Laser, which cause minimal damage to everyone in the party.  
  
The lead Estharian Cyborg Soldier slashed Squall; he didn't flinch as his Guardian Force took the hit. Squall could hear a faint birdlike scream in his head. Blaze rushed towards the machine and hit with his sword. The Mobile Type 8 quickly counterattacked with it's Twin Homing Laser again, causing minimal damage.  
  
Squall stepped forward and disappeared in a shimmering of green light. The sky suddenly darkens with dark gray, melancholy clouds swirling in the sky. Suddenly a big thunderbolt hit the ground and a giant green and yellow bird spin into the air spreading its giant wings. The wings folded towards the beak where it gathers electrical power and hits all the enemies with a thunder bubble. Soon Quezacotl disappear in the same fashion as it appeared in a spiral and then a flash.  
  
Quezacotl electrocuted all four Estharian Cyborg Soldiers and done significantly damaged to Mobile Type 8. In response it lashed its two metal whips where arms where suppose to be and attacked twice. The first arm hit Thor with tremendous force that it throw him out of the battle and smashed him to the nearest house wall, where he fainted. The second whipped Zephyr out of battle, than Hope in similar fashion as Thor. The fourth whipped headed towards Vesper, which he dodged somewhat successfully. He was stung on the cheek with the fourth whip that pained him greatly.  
  
Vesper whipped the blood of his left cheek and saw Aurora ran towards the Mobile Type 8 and made the final blow. The machine exploded scattering bits of metal all over the place. Vesper turned around to look for the rest of his crew.  
  
"Where are they?" Vesper asked frantically. They were gone.  
  
"The Estharian Guard must have taken them." Squall rationalized.  
  
"We have to get them." Vesper yelled.  
  
Suddenly a mass of Estharian soldiers came from the road where the inn was located and another mass from where the city entrance was. "It's too late, we're surrounded." Squall said.  
  
"But my people."  
  
"They would have to fend for themselves." Squall said dragging his son away from the arm conflict.  
  
"I have to save them." Vesper struggled against Squall.  
  
"It won't do them any good if you're dead." Squall said forcing his son away from conflict of certain doom. They ran the only option available and headed for the train station. The plethora of Estharian Soldiers followed them.  
  
"It's a trap!" Blaze said.  
  
"I know!" Squall yelled back. "Head to the train and infiltrate it! That's how we are going to escape from Balamb Island." Squall said as the passed the item shop.  
  
"What about the rest of the crew?" Vesper asked.  
  
"Have faith we will help them later." Squall said. "Now go and infiltrate the train." Squall demanded.  
  
"There is one question." Aurora asked.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Who's going to operate the train?"  
  
"You are." Squall said. "You have an affinity towards machines much like your father." Squall said.  
  
"But I..."  
  
"I have faith in you." Squall said as he got up to the top steps of the train platform. "You three head for the train and wait for me, while I deal with our pursuers." Squall said.  
  
"Are you sure?" Vesper asked.  
  
"Yeah." Squall smiled pulling out a card. "Trust me." Squall stood in front of the Estharian Army blocking the only entrance to the train station. He was shoot at by many plasma pluses, but his Guardian Force was protecting him. Squall disappeared in shimmering green light. "Eden." Squall said to himself as he watch a plethora of helpless Estharian Soldiers being devoured by Eden.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Vesper, Blaze and Aurora headed straight for the train. Vesper was worried about his father, but he had a gut feeling that he could take care of it by himself. Aurora quickly went to the door and started to pick the lock. Blaze had a bitter taste in his mouth and knew what it was - adrenaline. His heart was racing and he loved it. His icy blue eyes burned with excitement.  
  
"Stop." A familiar feminine voice demanded. The three students look around the not so empty station to hear where the voice was coming from. Blaze knew that voice very well. 'This is a different reality.' He reminded himself.  
  
"You're under arrest." Blaze recognized that masculine voice, less than the feminine one, but recognized it nevertheless. He looked to the roof of the train and saw a dark, tall, muscular man dressed in a blue sleeveless jean jacket and long black paints. In his right hand he held a rod about his height.  
  
"Like hell we will." Blaze fired back.  
  
"Fight." The white haired, pale skin woman said. She was dressed in blue jacket and black paints as she clutched a powerful Sai in her right hand.  
  
"Bring it on." Blaze said as he held his sword tighter. He saw the duo jumped off the train's roof. He now knew who it was Fujin and Raijin.  
  
"You won't get away." Raijin said brutally.  
  
"That is yet to be seen." Blaze said as he pulled out a card.  
  
Raijin twirled his rod and poked Vesper with one of the rod's end. Being several damaged from the previous battle he was critically damaged and got on one knee filled with pain. Suddenly Vesper felt his energies being returned to him. He turned and saw Aurora smiled, she had just cast a Curaga spell on him. With newfound strength he rushed towards Raijin and slashed him first with his left blade then the right. Fujin in response cast Tornado. The surrounding area of the heroes suddenly got windy as they were swept up among other small objects high in the air and fell down hard.  
  
Blaze stepped forward and disappeared in a shimmering of green light. A bluish dragon with a black torso and orange-red lines defining its torso appeared. It's leather like wings had black spots as it majestically hovered in the air.  
  
This was Blaze's favourite Guardian Force, because it was his first, Tiamat. The dragon roared and flew into their presence and hover over the enemy. It roared again as it as it gained attitude to perform it special attack: Dark Flare. Tiamat seeing that it was at optimal height fired several volleys of dark fireballs leaving a dark mushroom cloud as it flew away. Blaze reappears to see the status effect of curse being put on them.  
  
Raijin rushed towards Blaze and hit him hard with the end of his rod. Blaze had underestimated how strong Raijin could be. Aurora then rushed towards Raijin and slashed him with her right claw. Vesper quickly followed suit and attacked him with both his blades.  
  
"Sorry Sis, I've gotta go." Raijin said running away.  
  
Fujin rolled her sai on the ground and aimed it at Blaze. The sai hit Blaze with significant damage. Blaze rushed towards Fujin and slashed him with his sword. The battle stood at a standstill as all of them took breathers. Aurora took a deep breath and rushed towards Fujin and slashed her with her ambidextrous arms.  
  
"Enough." She said running from the battle.  
  
"Was that Fujin and Raijin?" Squall asked running towards his party.  
  
"Yeah." Blaze replied ominously.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"We're fine." Vesper said breathless.  
  
"All right, all aboard." Aurora smiled as the doors to the trains opened. "One way trip to Timber." Aurora announced.  
  
"Just in time." Squall said seeing more Estharian soldiers still chasing after them. "Let's head to the engine." Squall said. The four of them ran towards the front of the train to reach the engine room. The Estharian soldiers still in pursuit.  
  
"Do you know how to work this thing?" Vesper asked.  
  
"No, but how hard can it be?" Aurora smiled pressing several buttons. The train slowly left the station.  
  
"They're right behind us." Blaze warned seeing soldiers running up the connecting carts of the train. Squall had and idea and went outside in between carts and started pressing an access panel to disconnect the train carts. "What are you doing?" Blaze asked.  
  
"You'll see." Squall sighed. He clearly remembered the first time he did this. It was his first mission as a SeeD candidate. This time however was different Rinoa wasn't there to tell him the codes.  
  
"Hurry up Squall they're catching up to us." Blaze said.  
  
Squall tried another combination and it failed. He swore to himself. They were only four buttons, but over two hundred and fifty different combinations he could do.  
  
"It's now or never." Blaze said.  
  
"Rinoa please be with me." Squall said to himself as he closed his eyes and punched a random series of numbers. Squall heard a click and the train engine were separated from the carts. The engine got farther as the passenger cars slowed to a stop. They made it! They've escaped!  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Potholes in the road awaken Thor. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was in chains. His axe and Guardian Force cards were missing. He realized that he was in a moving vehicle.  
  
"Good Morning, Thor." Zephyr smiled.  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"Not sure." Hope sighed. "But I have a feeling we're heading to Balamb Prison." Hope said showing her restraints. Thor noticed that they were all under arrest. Thor swore to himself and sighed.  
  
"What about the rest?" Thor asked. "Did anyone see what happened to the rest of the crew?" Thor asked. The girls responded in the negative. Thor was worried, but didn't show it.  
  
The car suddenly shook and stopped. "What's going on?" Thor asked hearing screams and voices outside.  
  
"It's sounds like our rescue party." Hope smiled.  
  
"Vesper and the gang must have saved us." Thor smiled.  
  
"In here!" Zephyr yelled.  
  
The door started to open. "We know." Zell smiled.  
  
"Zell?"  
  
"I like you to meet Xu, she's the leader of the resistant group here in Balamb." Zell acquainted.  
  
"Zell, let's take care of introductions later." Xu said. "Just help me get these irons off." Xu scoffed. Zell quickly joined her as they started to tinker with the locks.  
  
"Why did you run away?" Thor asked, being confused with his present situation.  
  
"I wasn't sure if you were for the Estharians or against them." Zell said.   
  
"When I saw your group attacking the Estharians guards we knew that you were against them." Zell explained.  
  
"The rest of our party."  
  
"We think they escaped via train. We're not sure, because all available exits were surrounded by Estharian Guards." Xu reported. "They planned to trapped them and ambush them at the train station."  
  
"Then they may have escaped." Hope smiled.  
  
"We can't say. We'll know more later on in the day." Xu said as the chains fell off. "All right you're free let's go. Here are your weapons and cards." Xu said passing out their respective weapons.  
  
"We would like to thank you..."  
  
"You can do that later. We must make haste before the backup come." Xu said. "You're not safe on the island anymore, but we have a base here if you followed us." Xu explained.  
  
"Let's go." Thor said making an executive discussion. They got out of the prison car and followed Zell and Xu east of Balamb Prison. They headed towards the sunrise. 'What are we going to do now?' Thor said to himself.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Final Fantasy Genre (specifically Final Fantasy VIII (video game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. [2] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous clause, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.  



	6. Operation Onslaught.

DEFYING DESTINY  
By: Stiltzkin  
  
Author's Note: Sorry for not posting this in a timely manner. I've been busy with a million different things most of them miserable. You probably know the drill: school, work, life, same old same old. I've also been working on other series that I'm presently writing.  
  
In all honesty I've lost inspiration to continue this series. I thought to abandon it and was about to delete it, but I couldn't do it after spending so much time on it. I'm one of those people that have to finish what they started or it'll drive me insane. Plus I figure that it was high time to get off my high chair and get out of my pity party and realized that I write to satisfy the emptiness inside of me and not for the adulation of others.  
  
Having this new perspective I started to write this, so I apologize about it's tardiness and hope you like it as much as my previous chapters. Please note this series would be on the backburner and would be updated monthly or bimonthly unless there is a renaissance of reviews. Enjoy.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
CHAPTER SIX: OPPERATION ONSLAUGHT.  
  
Vesper stood on the edge of the train watching the sunrise as the train moved further west away from Balamb. The train went into the underwater tunnel and pretty soon Balamb disappeared and with that the crew that he left for dead. He felt guilty for leaving them behind, his crew. 'I have the get them back. I have too.' He promised himself. The cool morning winds sting his tears dry.  
  
"A gil for your thoughts." Aurora sighed sympathetically.  
  
"Oh, they're not worth that much." Vesper sighed.  
  
"Try me." Aurora sighed. "Here let me clean up the wound on your cheek." Aurora sighed as she wiped the wound. "Oh, it looks like it's going to leave a scar." Aurora sighed slightly countering the wound with her fingers.  
  
"Oh well, there goes my boyish good looks." Vesper said sarcastically.  
  
"I don't know. Some women may think rugged and scared look more sexier than the smooth boyish good looks of the youth." Aurora smiled.  
  
"Really? Do you think that?" Vesper playfully asked.  
  
"Forget it Leonhart. I'm not telling." Aurora smiled playfully punching Vesper on his shoulder. Vesper replied with a grimace. "It's good to see you smile." Aurora noted.  
  
"Yeah." Vesper sighed. His moment of weakness went away and his demeanour of pain and guilt was quickly restored.  
  
Aurora looked into his eyes, the window to his soul. "You're thinking about the people we left behind aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You know there's nothing that could have been done." Aurora sighed.  
  
"I know." Vesper sighed. "I just hate not knowing if they're alive or dead."  
  
"You're not thinking fourth dimensionally." Aurora said.  
  
"I'm not?"  
  
"If we're successful in getting the Cronos Guardian Force we could travel back in time to were all seven of us were together and ask Hope to let us borrow her Atmos Guardian Force and stop the temporal storm before it begins and this reality would have never existed. The deaths, or possible deaths of Thor, Zephyr and Hope would have never happened and we won't be standing here now having this discussion and if I'm talking way too much just shut me up." Aurora quickly said all in one breath.  
  
Vesper smiled at her. "I don't know how you do that." Vesper smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Make me smile when I don't feel like it." Vesper smiled. "I know everything you told me, which makes this mission that more important that we succeed, but knowing that fact doesn't make me feel better."  
  
"I know." Aurora sighed. "If it didn't I would be worried." Aurora smiled holding his cheek with her palm. Vesper looked into her eyes and saw sadness and remembered their earlier conversation.  
  
"You know we didn't really finish our conversation this morning."  
  
"What conversation?" Aurora asked innocently.  
  
"The one just outside Balamb Inn." Vesper said playfully.  
  
"Ah, that one, I know it well." Aurora smiled. "I thought we were finished with that conversation."  
  
"No we were rudely interrupted, by Estharian guards."  
  
"Ah, right." Aurora smiled.  
  
Vesper sighed in defeat, he couldn't continue with the witty banter. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "He'll be a fool not to love you back." Vesper smiled.  
  
"Thanks." Aurora smiled.  
  
"It's the truth." Vesper smiled.  
  
"Vesper may I speak with you?" Squall asked walking into their conversation. "I'm sorry am I intruding?"  
  
"No." Aurora smiled leaving the two men alone. "I have to check our ETA." Aurora made an excuse to leave. She slowly walked past Squall and gave a salutatory smile and nod and went into the engine room.  
  
"Are you two an item?" Squall asked.  
  
"Who? Aurora and me?" Vesper said in shock. "We're just friends, best friends." Vesper smiled. "I mean we grew up together. She was the girl next door. Us being lovers, that's absurd." Vesper rationalized.  
  
"Okay, I'm convinced." Squall said defensively. "For someone you don't love you sure are defensive." Squall smiled.  
  
Vesper was upset and realized that it was his father's dry sarcasm. Vesper smiled to himself and chuckled. "I always knew you had a dry sense of humour, but mother said it was far drier before you two were married. I didn't think it was possible, but now I see it's true." Vesper smiled.  
  
"Mother?"  
  
"Yeah, one usually needs a mother to be born." Vesper smiled.  
  
"May I ask..."  
  
"SeeD Temporal Directive." Vesper said curtly. "Father, I wish I can tell you, but I can't." Vesper sighed. "Please, let's talk about something else." Vesper sighed. "Anything, but the future." Vesper said looking towards the horizon; he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. Balamb Town was gone, out of his sight.  
  
"A good commander..."  
  
"I'm hardly a leader." Vesper sighed.  
  
"Nevertheless, you are in command, and a good commander is willing to send SeeDs to death for the good of the mission." Squall empathized.  
  
"I know, they are trained to give their lives for the common good." Vesper sighed repeating the rules and regulations of the Garden Charter. "It still doesn't make me feel any better."  
  
"A good commander puts the needs and emotional welfare of the party before their personal feelings." Squall said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have to show your crew that you care for your friends, but also show that life goes on and ratify the group under one cause and unite them. Look at Blaze, he staring into nothingness." Squall said pointing inside to where Blaze stood. "Something is bothering him and he needs encouragement." Squall sighed.  
  
Vesper saw Blaze looking through the window, perhaps looking at his reflection. His golden blonde hair shimmered even in the darkness of the shadow; his emerald green eyes glowed as the tunnel's fluorescence light passed every hundred meters or so.  
  
Blaze was wearing a black vest with black leather jeans fasten by a leather belt and a dark sheath on his left side where the golden handle of his sword glistened. Around his neck were dog tags and draped around his shoulders were a black cloak and hood. In his right ear dangled a golden earring of a cross.  
  
"Oh that." Vesper sighed. "Blaze has a big chip on his shoulder - one the size of a world." Vesper sighed. "Blaze's mother and father wanted to become SeeD more than anything in the world, but failed."  
  
"Not everyone could be SeeDs."  
  
"I know." Vesper sighed. "Blaze was their only child and all the hopes and dreams were placed on him." Vesper sighed.  
  
"That's rough."  
  
"The day he was declared a SeeD. His father was happy, but it wasn't good enough for him. His father wanted him to be the best."  
  
"Is that why he's always trying to prove himself? Always looking for the next fight?" Squall asked.  
  
"Yeah." Vesper sighed.  
  
"Which is why you have to talk to him."  
  
"Yeah I think I should." Vesper sighed. "Especially what happened this morning at the train station."  
  
"What happened this morning?"  
  
"He fought his mother." Vesper said ominously and left Squall.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The sounds of the morning larks woke up Thor. He woke up shivering from the draft coming into the cave. The cold still pained his wounds from the fight with Mobile Type 8 earlier that morning. He picked up his axe and walked towards the cave's entrance. He sat and started to sharpen his axe. Doing that always soothed and calmed his nerves.  
  
"Cool axe man." Zell said admiring the blade.  
  
"Thanks." Thor smiled. "Had it for an eternity." He smiled enigmatically.  
  
"Here's some coffee." Zell offered.  
  
"Thanks." Thor sighed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, isn't this the fire cave?" Thor asked.  
  
"Where have you been? Asleep for the last twenty-five years?" Zell asked with a hint of surprise. "These caves haven't been called the fire caves for at least that long."  
  
"What happened?" Thor said taking a sip of his piping hot coffee.  
  
"I thought everyone knew."  
  
"Humour me."  
  
"About twenty-five years ago the Estharians discovered how to capture Guardian Forces and were allured by their powers." Zell explained. "This cave was filled with Ifrits until the Estharians annexed our island and stole all the Ifrits here. As a result the fire ambered and the cave turned cold." Zell said. "Theses caves have been abandoned ever since."  
  
"I see." Thor sighed. "May I ask another question?" Thor asked.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Why has the Estharians outlawed the usage of Guardian Forces?"  
  
Zell looked at him suspiciously and reluctantly answered. "The Estharians are xenophobic by nature and about twenty years ago they were worried about their enemies using Guardian Forces against them." Zell explained. "We, the rebels only have two Ifrits."  
  
"What are you rebelling against?"  
  
"We're rebelling against our warring nations. They all want world domination." Zell sighed. "The Estharians wants to put the whole world into slavery; The Galbadians wants to turn the world into a dictatorship; The Centra is willing to commit genocide so that they could rule supreme and the Trabians wants to use the rest of us in their experiments for genetic purity."  
  
"What about Fisherman's Horizon?"  
  
"Fisherman's what?"  
  
"I mean Harmony."  
  
"Oh, the Harmonies are a bunch of pacifists." Zell sighed. "We want freedoms and rights and we're willing to fight for it." He said full of gusto.  
  
"If you have nothing to die for..."  
  
"There's nothing to live for." Zell smiled. "You understand our motto."  
  
"Who's that?" Thor asked.  
  
"Just one of our operatives." Zell smiled. The young man walked up to Zell and whispered something in his ears. Thor noticed that his pupils dilated with surprise, no with fear. "Are you sure?" Zell asked with a hint of fear. The operative nodded in response.  
  
"What was that about?" Thor asked.  
  
"Nothing." Zell sighed trying to forget what the operative told him, but he couldn't. "So now that you know everything about us, may I ask you a question?" Zell asked.  
  
"Shoot." Thor sighed.  
  
"You three aren't exactly from here are you?" Zell asked.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Oh, because you don't have any common knowledge about this place."  
  
"We're not from Balamb." Thor explained.  
  
"So you say." Zell sighed.  
  
"It sounds like you don't believe me."  
  
"It's just that our operatives in Balamb has put your facial images of you and your friends into the international personal database and it came up negative." Zell said.  
  
"What does that mean?" Thor asked.  
  
"You really don't know." Zell sighed. "The international personal database is a record of everyone on the planet, and you're not on it. Meaning you and the rest of your party never existed, like you're all from another world or something." Zell said suspiciously. "Now I have to ask: Who are you and what's going on here?" Zell said charging an Estharian Plasma Gunblade at Thor.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Major Biggs! Reporting to duty sir!"  
  
"At east Lieutenant Wedge." Biggs sighed. "What did you do for Train duty?" He sighed.  
  
"I don't know." Wedge sighed. "I think the General has it in for me." He sighed. "How about you?"  
  
"I accidentally insulted General Loire's mother." Biggs sighed.  
  
"Train duty, on a train that only comes to Timber once a day." Wedge sighed. "What can be more duller than this?" He sighed.  
  
"Wait a minute." He paused listening. "What's that?"  
  
"Sounds like a train." Wedge answered back.  
  
"Hey you two come here." Biggs ordered two privates to come over. They looked confused and looked at each other. "Yeah you two. There's a train coming from Balamb Island and we need your help." Biggs ordered.  
  
"Aye sir."  
  
The four Galbadian soldiers waited patiently for the locomotive part of the train to stop. "What the..." Biggs swore to himself. "Halt, who goes there?" Biggs announced.  
  
"Biggs?" Squall asked with confusion.  
  
"That's Major Biggs to you." He pointed out. "And who are you and how do you know my name?" He asked pointing his gun at Squall.  
  
Squall looked to the crew behind him flabbergasted in what to tell them. "We're undercover operatives." Squall hesitantly lied.  
  
"Yeah our cover was blown so we were forced to escape Balamb Island. Please take us to the commanding officer of this outpost so we could begin debriefing." Vesper continued his father's lie.  
  
Biggs studied their faces and sighed. "All right. Please follow us." He said leading the way.  
  
Squall looked at the rest of the crew, hoping that they were on the same wavelength he was thinking. He pointed his eyes towards their backs and the trio nodded in affirmation. "Now!" Squall said.  
  
Squall, Vesper, Blaze, and Aurora headed towards one of the guards and hit them hard on their heads knocking them down. "All clear." Blaze said.  
  
"Good let's tie them up." Squall said dragging them into a dark alley taking off their uniforms.  
  
"What are you doing?" Aurora asked.  
  
"We need disguises to walk around Timber freely." Squall pointed out. "Hurry before they wake." He pointed out. It took them fifteen minutes to dress themselves up like Galbadian soldiers.  
  
They tied their arms and legs up and tapped their mouths together with SeeD efficiency. "Eww...these uniforms stinks." Aurora noted.  
  
"Buck up, we have to find our way to the Esthar to steal an airship." Blaze pointed out. "We have to find a way to get there from here." He pointed out.  
  
"Blaze is right." Squall said. "Let's observed the city." He said putting on the helmet of the Major's uniform.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"You're what?!?" Zell said with disbelief.  
  
"I'm from the future of another reality." Thor said slowly raising his hands in defence. Although Thor had his axe with him he couldn't swing it quick enough to dodge a deadly plasma blast at such close distance. "I'm telling you the truth." Thor added.  
  
"I'm sure you think it is." Zell sighed unconvinced.  
  
"You don't believe me."  
  
"Try to see it from my prospective. Would you believe me if you were in my place?" Zell asked.  
  
"Not really." Thor sighed.  
  
"Than how can I be sure that you're telling the truth?"  
  
"I can't." Thor sighed with defeat.  
  
"You can tell our future."  
  
"Even if I can, I can't tell you." Thor sighed. "I'm from a different reality." Thor sighed.  
  
"Right." Zell sighed unconvincingly. "How convenient."  
  
Thor wanted to explain about the mutual inhalation and the temporal storm, but he decided against it. He took a deep sighed. "What are you going to do with us?" Thor asked.  
  
"Come with me." Zell said motioning the plasma gunblade up. Thor stood up slowly. "Pass me your weapon." Zell demanded. Thor looked at his axe and sighed. "Don't you dare think of using it." Zell warned.  
  
"Please take care of it." Thor sighed handing his axe over to Zell.  
  
"You seemed very attached to it." Zell sighed. "I bet you even have a name for it." Zell mocked to himself.  
  
"Her name is Mjolnir." Thor sighed.  
  
"You're not serious are you?" Zell sighed.  
  
"I am."  
  
"Come on." Zell sighed, leading Thor deeper into the cave. The further they went the cooler it got. Zell lead Thor into the furthest recesses of the cave where a deep hole was located. "Get in." Zell ordered.  
  
Thor looked down to see that the hole was at least twelve feet down and the sides were smooth. He saw Zephyr and Hope down there as they looked up to greet him. "You must be mad."  
  
"Don't test me." Zell sighed pointing the plasma gunblade at him.  
  
"All right." Thor sighed climbing down the rope that led to the bottom of the pit. When he got down into the pit the rope was lifted. "Trapped." He sighed.  
  
"What are we going to do now?" Hope sighed.  
  
"I wish I knew." Thor answered.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Squall took the lead, because he wearing the uniform of a major. They quickly imitated the indigenous soldiers around them. "Remember to walk confidently and in a single file." Squall whispered. They all nodded and quickly followed him, with Vesper dressed in the uniform of the lieutenant and Aurora and Blaze quietly following behind him with private uniforms.  
  
This Timber, like their Timber from their indigenous universe was almost identical. Except with the fact that it was flooded with Galbadian soldiers. 'Timber under a Galbadian Occupation.' Squall sighed. 'Rinoa's heart would break if she saw this.' Squall thought walking pass the local bar. 'What the...' Squall stopped.  
  
Vesper bumped into Squall as Blaze to Vesper and Aurora to Blaze. "What's going on?" Vesper whispered.  
  
"I just saw President Loire walking into the local bar." He gasped.  
  
"He's may not be a president in this reality." Vesper reminded.  
  
"Com'on we're following him." Squall said entering the bar.  
  
They took their seats within hearing range of his table. "Colonels Seagill and Zabac." Laguna quietly greeted.  
  
"General Loire." They stood up and saluted him.  
  
"At ease." He said sitting down. "I have a mission for you from President Deling himself." Laguna said. "It's top secret."  
  
"You can trust us." Kiros said quietly.  
  
"President Deling wants us to infiltrate Harmony." Laguna responded.  
  
"Why Harmony?" Ward asked.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Kiros sighed. "It's makes a good strategic base in conquering Esthar." He pointed out.  
  
"Quite correct. There's a train leaving for Dollet tonight, when you get there a boat will take you to Harmony. You are only allowed to take a handful of soldiers with you." Laguna debriefed.  
  
"Do you think we need that many?" Ward asked. "The Harmonies are a bunch of pacifists. They wouldn't lift an arm to defend their city." He pointed out.  
  
"Rightly so, but the President and I want to make sure we get Harmony before the Estharians put their ships to protect their harbour." Laguna said. "We only have one chance to take Harmony without any fatalities." He pointed out.  
  
"We understand." Kiros said.  
  
"Great." Laguna sighed. "I'll be leaving for Deling City in the morning."  
  
"Your wife misses you?" Ward hinted.  
  
"Yeah." He sighed. "Come by after you annex Harmony. We'll have a celebratory dinner." Laguna invited.  
  
"Sounds good." Laguna said leaving.  
  
Colonels Seagill and Zabac circumspect the room looking for candidates for their new mission while Squall had an idea. "That's our ticket to Esthar. Somehow we've got to sneak on that train." Squall whispered to his crew.  
  
"You Major!" Ward said pointing at Squall. "Come with us, we have a mission for you and your troops."  
  
"Aye sir!" Squall nervously saluted. 'Or be conscripted.' He thought ominously. They quickly followed the Colonels out of the bar.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Xu and Zell sat by the former Ifrit lava pit quietly guarding their hostages. The coldness of the cave started to make Xu shiver. The silence made the cave all that much colder. "So what do you think about our prisoners?" Xu asked. "Do you believe their story?" She asked wanting some confirmation to her suspicions.  
  
"I don't know." Zell sighed. "They are rather ignorant about this world, but the idea that being from another timeline in the future? That sounds a little too much for me." He pointed out.  
  
"They do posses Guardian Forces form legends of yore." Xu pointed. "And they are definitely against the Estharian Occupation, but is nowhere found in any database."  
  
"Unless that's a rouse."  
  
"No, I don't think so." Xu sighed. "Why would they sacrifice over a hundred loyal men and cyborgs for?" Xu pointed out. "It doesn't make any sense, if they wanted to expose our resistance cell there are more easier ways to do it." Xu sighed.  
  
"Then it leaves only one explanation." Zell sighed.  
  
"That they're from the future of another timeline." Xu said. "I don't know."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Thor hated feeling useless. 'What should we do?' He thought leaning against one of the walls of the pit. Hope was walking around looking at the mouth wondering how to get out. He could hear whispers from above. 'They're probably talking about us.' He sighed.  
  
"Maybe we can climb the pit." Hope suggested.  
  
"I doubt it." Zephyr sighed. "This was a lava pit where all the Ifrits use to live. When the lava dried the walls smoothed." Zephyr explained.  
  
"It's hopeless." Thor pointed out.  
  
"Nothing's hopeless." Hope reminded. "There's got to be a way out."  
  
"Maybe there is." Zephyr thought. Her grimace reached from ear to ear. "Hey up there! Can we ask you a question?" She yelled her voice echoed through the cavity of the hole.  
  
"What?" Xu yelled back.  
  
"Am I correct to assume that Balamb prison was once an ancient underground shelter?" Zephyr asked.  
  
"According to Balamb history yes." Xu sighed. "It was built there centuries before the first inhabitants populated this island." Xu informed. "Why do you ask?" She asked with great interest.  
  
"In our reality it was a floating fortress and I'm assuming that it would be in this one." Zephyr announced. "If you help us take over the prison we will give you the floating fortress as your prize under one condition."  
  
"Your freedom." Xu guessed. "An interesting idea, but we'll never survive."  
  
"If you return our weapons and Guardian Forces we will help you out." Thor pointed out.  
  
"All right, but if it's not a floating fortress we want to liberate a fellow resistant fighter that's trapped in the prison." Xu pointed out. "Her name is Princess Tilmitt of Trabia." She pointed out.  
  
"Mother." Thor gasped. Zephyr and Hope looked at Thor. He searched their eyes trying to find an answer, but what they told him was that it was up to you. "If we liberate your prisoner we want one thing in return, that is if the prison is indeed a floating fortress." Thor pointed out.  
  
"What is it?" Zell asked.  
  
"An Estharian Airship."  
  
Xu and Zell looked at each other and sighed. They nodded with silent confirmation. "We don't have one, but we do know who has." Zell sighed.  
  
"But if you help us liberate Princess Tilmitt and give us this floating fortress of yours we can guarantee that you'll get your Estharian airship." Xu pointed out.  
  
The trio looked at each other and unanimously agreed silently nodding. "You have a deal." Thor pointed out.  
  
"All right." Xu smiled. "Lower the rope." She yelled to one of her fellow resistance cell member. "Time for Operation Onslaught to begin." She smiled.  
  
"Operation Onslaught?" Thor asked with confusion.  
  
"Let's just say we've been planning the rescue of Princess Tilmitt for a long time." Xu replied with a devilish smile.  
  
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Thor sighed ominously climbing out of the hole.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Final Fantasy Genre (specifically Final Fantasy VIII (video game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. [2] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous clause, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.  



End file.
